Browns' Deshaun Watson, Steelers' Antonio Brown Cause Massive Rule Change By NFL

Former Pittsburgh Steelers star wide receiver, Antonio Brown cannot seem to stay out of the news. Brown is widely considered one of the Steelers' best receivers, and one of their biggest draft steals after being chosen in the sixth round of the 2010 NFL Draft. He earned seven Pro Bowl nods during his time in the Steel City. However, after leaving to chase a larger contract with the then-Oakland Raiders in 2019, things seemed to fall apart for Brown. He once made headlines for breaking records and now is making headlines for causing NFL rule changes. 

Brown has been in legal trouble several times since leaving Pittsburgh. This includes multiple lawsuits for sexual assault/misconduct. In September 2019, Brown's former trainer Britney Taylor filed allegations saying that he had sexually assaulted her multiple times. She said on those occasions he exposed himself and raped her. Brown denied any wrongdoing. 

In the Taylor case, the judge did not prosecute Brown because too much time had elapsed and the statute of limitations had expired. Taylor filed a civil lawsuit. Brown ended up filing a countersuit against Taylor saying that she was just seeking to make money at his expense and was defaming his character. He claimed that the sex they had was consensual. Ultimately the two resolved their differences and issued a statement saying they had settled the matter. 

While both parties claimed to be a victim in the case, they weren't the only ones - the New England Patriots were also angry. Brown, who had been released by the Raiders for discipline issues, was picked up immediately by the Patriots. They gave him a one-year contract worth $15 million, which included a $9 million signing bonus. 

The Patriots were not aware of the allegations that had been made against Brown. He lasted just two weeks with the team before being released. The Patriots said they felt it was best to go in a different direction. They later added that they do not condone any kind of sexual misconduct and were fully supporting the league in any investigations. 

On the heels of the first allegation came a second. A female artist, who had been commissioned to do a private painting for Brown, said that he made unwanted sexual advances towards her. Now the league has updated its rules to help support teams such as the Patriots. 

Steelers' Antonio Brown Causes The NFL To Make A Rule Change, And It's Not The Good Kind

The NFL announced it made changes to its Personal Conduct Policy. The change results largely from players such as Brown and the Cleveland Brown's Deshaun Watson, who has been accused by at least 30 different women of sexual assault or misconduct. The NFL is now issuing much harsher punishments for any kind of sexual threat, coercion, and patterns of sexual misconduct.  

In the case of Brown, he influenced a new rule change designed for teams that are kept in the dark. The new rule protects a team like the Patriots, who signed Brown in good faith, not knowing that these accusations were out there. It came to light that Brown knew about the allegations, but failed to tell anyone associated with the team. Now the new rule requires players to disclose any potential violations of the Personal Conduct Policy to the team prior to signing a contract. 

With Brown, the unsuspecting Patriots had paid him that $9 million bonus, but then had to cut him after only 11 days. The Patriots, of course, declined to pay the bonus. Brown filed a grievance and the matter was settled, which leads you to believe New England paid him at least part of the money. However, they were not armed with all available information and likely would not have signed Brown had they known.

Now the NFL is saying any player who fails to disclose violations of the Personal Conduct Policy before signing their contract would not be entitled to be paid by the team if the truth is revealed after the player is released. In essence, the Patriots would have been protected.     

What do you think about the league's new Personal Conduct Policy changes? Is the league finally taking this seriously? Click to comment below. 

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