Antonio Brown Compares His Legal Situation to Ben Roethlisberger Suspension

Shortly after Antonio Brown was traded to the Oakland Raiders in mid-March, he began creating a firestorm on Twitter. He alternated between taking shots at his former teammates in Ben Roethlisberger and JuJu Smith-Schuster and posting about how people need to keep their emotions off the internet. Unfortunately for Brown, he did not follow the rules of this early-April tweet and instead began taking a scorched earth approach to social media on Sunday morning.

Without a game to prepare for, Brown instead opted to begin sending out controversial tweets about Patriots owner Robert Kraft, Fox Sports analyst Shannon Sharpe, and his former quarterback in Pittsburgh.

Using a tweet that has since been deleted, Brown brought up the rape allegations against Ben Roethlisberger from 2010 and the suspension that had been handed down. “4 games for Big Ben crazy world I’m done with it,” Brown wrote on Sunday morning.

The incident with Roethlisberger that Brown referenced took place in 2010. The Steelers quarterback had been accused of sexual assault by a 20-year-old female college student. Prosecutors opted to not press charges, but Commissioner Roger Goodell still handed down a six-game suspension and ordered Roethlisberger to undergo a behavioral evaluation by professionals.

“I recognize that the allegations in Georgia were disputed and that they did not result in criminal charges being filed against you,” Goodell said in a letter to Roethlisberger. “My decision today is not based on a finding that you violated Georgia law, or on a conclusion that differs from that of the local prosecutor. That said, you are held to a higher standard as an NFL player, and there is nothing about your conduct in Milledgeville that can remotely be described as admirable, responsible, or consistent with either the values of the league or the expectations of our fans.”

Brown is frustrated that he doesn’t have a job while Roethlisberger only dealt with a suspension. However, the potential issue with his post is that his release from the Patriots was reportedly caused by the text messages that were sent to one of his accusers. The allegations of sexual assault were not the issue. According to multiple sources, this move enraged owner Robert Kraft, and decided with Bill Belichick to release Brown.

The other factor that will come into play is the league’s investigation. Depending on the findings, it’s still very possible that Brown will face punishment from the league. If this happens, it’s likely that his Twitter account will be filled with even more pointed tweets.