Drew Rosenhaus: Antonio Brown Still Wants to Play in NFL

Sunday morning, former New England Patriots wide receiver Antonio Brown declared that he is done with the NFL in a message on Twitter. After his second release from an NFL team in a two-week span, the end of his career appeared nigh. However, agent Drew Rosenhaus is not so certain. He actually believes that the 31-year-old veteran is very interested in a return.

Speaking to Warren Sapp on the 99 Problems podcast, Rosenhaus actually opened up about his client and the likelihood that a contract with another NFL team could be taking place. According to this conversation, Brown actually wants to continue playing in the NFL, and there are several teams interested in his services.

“I believe that Antonio wants to continue his career in the NFL,” Rosenhaus told Sapp. This statement went against the information that Brown had provided on Twitter during his Sunday posting spree, but Rosenhaus provided some extra context.

“I have had discussions with a few teams that are very interested in him and want to know about his future and what’s going on with the NFL,” Rosenhaus said. “Hopefully, when that is all resolved, Antonio will be able to continue his Hall of Fame career.”

This follows with information that Rosenhaus provided to ESPN on Saturday when he said that many teams were interested in adding Brown to the roster. Obviously, there were some concerns about his ongoing legal issues, but the amount of talent available made it more possible that Brown would be the prize for multiple suitors.

That being said, the big issue with adding Brown to the roster is the continuing investigation by the NFL. The receiver is facing many allegations, including those of rape, sexual assault, sexual misconduct, and refusing to pay money owed to clients. The NFL is looking into these allegations and could ultimately choose to place Brown on the commissioner’s exempt list. Although there is no timeline set for the decision.

Thus far, Brown hasn’t faced any discipline from the league considering that the investigation is still ongoing, but he also hasn’t landed with a new team for the same reason. According to Rosenhaus, being forced out of the game that he loves has been terrible for Brown.

“It’s a very difficult time for him, not playing,” Rosenhaus continued. “We expected him to be playing against the Jets on Sunday, so it’s tough for someone who loves the game not to be playing right now, and the hope is that we’ll cooperate with the NFL in its investigation and get him back with a team to continue this tremendous career he’s had.”

Whether or not Brown truly wants to rejoin the ranks of NFL players is unknown, but his agent believes that this could be happening in the future. According to Rosenhaus, Brown still has a passion for the game and wants to be back on the field with his teammates, regardless of what he says on Twitter.