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New England Patriots Say They Wouldn’t Have Signed Antonio Brown if Rape Allegation Were Known: Report

Brown’s accuser, Britney Taylor, is slated to meet with league investigators Monday.

The New England Patriots wouldn’t have signed Antonio Brown if the team had known of the lawsuit alleging that he raped his former trainer, NFL.com reports. Sources close to the team said owner Robert Kraft would not have signed off on the deal if he had known of the coming charges. Brown’s accuser, Britney Taylor, is scheduled to meet with league investigators on Monday, according to NFL.com. According to the lawsuit, another rookie football player was present at the house where the alleged rape took place, and per league rules, that person will also be compelled to meet with investigators. Brown played in his first game with the Patriots on Sunday, after the NFL did not decide to place him on the Commissioner’s Exempt list. A player may be placed on the exempt list when he is criminally charged with a crime of violence, or if commissioner Roger Goodell believes a person may have violated the NFL personal conduct policy. Brown was deemed to have not met those requirements.