The Patriots did not know wide receiver Antonio Brown could be facing a lawsuit for sexual assault when they signed him last week, ESPN's Jeremy Fowler reports.
Britney Taylor, Brown's former trainer, accused him of sexual assault and rape in a lawsuit filed in the Southern District of Florida on Tuesday.
According to Fowler, representatives for Taylor and Brown were in discussions for months and agreed to keep their communication confidential until Taylor's civil sexual assault lawsuit was filed. Sources told Fowler that the Patriots and Raiders, who released Brown last week, would not have known about it unless someone breached their decision to remain quiet.