If the San Francisco 49ers' chances of trading for Antonio Brown were slim before, they might have dropped even more now. The Pittsburgh Steelers star was involved in a domestic dispute in January but was not arrested, according to a report from TMZ Sports.
"Our sources tell us a woman contacted the Hollywood Police Dept. in Florida in mid-January and made a report alleging misconduct by Brown," wrote TMZ. "The details surrounding her allegations are unclear -- but we know cops investigated."
Added TMZ: "A rep for the Hollywood Police Dept. tells TMZ Sports, 'Mr. Brown was involved in a domestic dispute. No arrests were made.'"
Brown, of course, has been linked to the 49ers because of his activity on social media. He wants out of Pittsburgh, and the Steelers are willing to trade him if they receive the right offer.
Brown has made it clear that he would love to play for Kyle Shanahan and the San Francisco 49ers. He most recently spent time at a Super Bowl party with 49ers safety Adrian Colbert.
The 49ers may shy away from any player who could potentially face legal problems after the ordeal the team went through with linebacker Reuben Foster, which involved multiple claims of domestic violence, after making him a first-round draft pick in 2017. Foster was released in November following his latest incident.
The 49ers will likely do their due diligence on Brown should they be interested in acquiring the receiver. However, as others are speculating, it is tough to imagine their interest level being high with this latest development.
H/t to Matt Maiocco of NBC Sports Bay Area for the find.
Update: Brown's lawyer, Darren Heitner, released a statement to ESPN calling the allegations "baseless and false."
He added, "It's unfortunate that the media is trying to use distractions like this and prior stories in an effort to tarnish my client's name and reputation. We have no further comment."
The Steelers released the following statement after Heitner's.
"We were made aware earlier today of the alleged incident involving Antonio Brown last month in Florida. We are still in the process of gathering information, consequently we have no further comment at this time."
