New England Patriots

Stephen Jackson is saying what a lot of people are thinking ... he doesn't understand why Antonio Brown's accuser would continue to work with the NFL star after he allegedly sexually assaulted her, TWICE.

"At the end of the day, if you still work with someone that's been sexually assaulting you, how is that sexual assault?"

Jackson is referring to the timeline in Britney Taylor's lawsuit against AB -- in which she claims she continued to work with Brown as his personal trainer after he allegedly exposed himself to her on two separate occasions in 2017.

As we previously reported, Taylor says weeks after the first incident, Brown snuck up from behind and masturbated onto her back while she was watching a church service on her iPad.

Despite the alleged incident, Taylor says she continued to work with -- and hang out with -- Brown until he allegedly forcibly raped her in May 2018. She didn't file her lawsuit until Sept. 2019.

"I don't know what's going on but at the end of the day, I just don't understand the timing of it," Jackson told TMZ Sports on his way out of a Viola Lifestyle event in L.A.

"There's a lot of stuff that's been going on with AB and she decides to come out with it 3 years later, around the time AB's going through all this other stuff. Like, it's kind of tricky."

"But, at the end of the day, I'm on the side of the athlete until he's proven guilty. So, shout-out to AB. Ya'll know how I rock."

For her part, Taylor says the incidents nearly destroyed her life ... but in her lawsuit, she doesn't specifically explain why she didn't go to police or come forward with allegations sooner.

Of course, there's a ton of research about why rape victims don't come forward right away -- from the fear of not being believed to retaliation from the accuser and others.

The New York Times wrote a piece about it in 2018.

Brown has adamantly denied the allegations and says he will fight the case.

Jackson he will "ride with AB" until/if he's found guilty -- but the problem is, Brown isn't being prosecuted right now. The lawsuit filed against him is a civil matter, with Taylor seeking a financial award.

Deep breath Pats fans, the drama around Antonio Brown will NOT derail New England's season ... so says Super Bowl MVP Deion Branch.

Branch had 2 stints with the Pats ('02-'05, '10-'12) and won 2 Super Bowls with Brady, Belichick and Kraft ... so he knows the organization inside and out and he's confident the legendary coach knows how to handle controversy.

"Everything starts with Bill," Branch says. "It starts with your leader on the team. Coach Belichick, out of all the years he's been coaching and been a part of numerous different organizations, trust me, this ain't the first time something like this has came up with some of his players. He will do what's best for the organization, that we all know."

As we previously reported, Brown -- in a lawsuit in Florida -- was accused of sexually assaulting and raping a woman on 3 occasions. AB adamantly DENIES the allegations.

On the football field, the Pats had a DOMINANT week 1 performance -- thrashing the Steelers 33-3 -- and Antonio didn't even suit up.

New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick says Antonio Brown WILL practice with the team on Wednesday while the organization continues to investigate rape allegations against the WR.

But, when it comes to AB playing on Sunday, Bill would not commit to an answer saying, "We're taking it one day at a time."

Bill was also asked if the team knew about the rape allegations BEFORE they signed him to a 1-year contract worth up to $15 million over the weekend ... and he punted on that question.

Belichick constantly deflected and was combative with reporters -- especially when asked if AB spoke with the team about the situation.

Belichick told reporters he already answered that question -- to which a reporter fired back, "No, you didn't."

The reporter told Belichick that fans had a right to know if the team knowingly got into bed with a WR who was being accused of rape.

What Belichick did say was that the Patriots have "looked into the situation. We're taking it very seriously ... all the way through the organization."

Regarding Antonio's statement on the case -- AB adamantly denies the allegations -- Bill said, "They are what they are."

Bill constantly tried to turn the conversation back to the upcoming game against the Miami Dolphins -- and then told the media, "I appreciate all the questions and what's been said is what's been said."

Well, this is something ... Antonio Brown just gave his first interview about being on the Patriots -- and he did it from the driver's seat of his car while cruisin' the streets of Boston!

Does it seem oddly set up that Brown would roll down his window and start talking to a Patriots fan in the middle of the road? Yes.

Are there people in our office who suspect the shot was orchestrated by Brown (and maybe even the Patriots) in a PR effort to endear him to the city? Yes.

Are there other people in our office who are convinced this is a real, not setup shot? Absolutely.

But, whether it was set up or not ... it's still interesting.

Brown is seemingly flagged down by a man in another car who fires off a couple of questions about AB's new gig with the Patriots ... and the WR says everything you'd expect him to say.

He shouts a "Let's go, bro" -- and when asked how pumped he is to play with the Pats, AB responds, "Extremely grateful, bro!"

That's it. Cool moment. It's already going viral. Mission accomplished ... right?

Of course, there are reports Brown consulted with a social media team to concoct a way to use Twitter, YouTube and Instagram to force his way out of Oakland.

... so would you really put something like this past him?

Brown is expected to suit up and play on Sunday when the Patriots take on the Miami Dolphins ... and we'll see if he's the Randy Moss 2.0 that Bill Belichick is hoping for.

Quavo is damn proud of Antonio Brown for telling Mike Mayock and the Raiders to kick rocks ... the Migos rapper says he's HAPPY AB got to choose his own team for once!!!

"It's time for players to pick their own destiny," Quavo says ... "You gotta be happy with where you're at. You can't just not be happy at an unhappy home."

In other words, Quavo feels it's about time MORE players take control of their careers instead of being helplessly passed around the league like a piece of meat.

His comments fall in line with critics of the NFL Draft -- where players are essentially powerless when it comes to where they play and who they play for ... regardless of which situation is best for them.

Of course, AB has drawn a TON of criticism for the way he handled his time in Oakland ... with Jerry Rice saying he believes the receiver orchestrated ALL of the drama in order to eventually end up in New England.

But, when we got Quavo out in NYC, he told us he has zero issues if that's indeed the case with AB ... and said he wishes MORE players would do it!!

"You gotta have a good home," Huncho says.

As for Brown's new role with the Pats, Quavo says he has no doubts the guy will be a star there ... telling us, "I think the Patriots will be a good spot for him."

Seems Belichick already agrees ... when he was asked Tuesday about bringing in Brown despite all the baggage, he said, "It's the same thing you said about Randy Moss when we brought him in."

Rob Gronkowski says the 2019 Patriots are a bunch of "BEASTS" -- and he's even joking about unretiring and getting back with his squad in week 14!

The 30-year-old tight end was RAVING about his former (?) team on the way out of Barstool Sports on Monday night ... where he joked with El Pres Dave Portnoy that week 14 would be a great time to come back to the Pats!

As we previously reported, Gronk said he retired because his body was just too banged up and he wasn't having fun playing football anymore. But, he left the door open for a return if he felt good.

Fast-forward to Monday ... one day after his Pats smashed the Steelers and Gronk couldn't have been happier for New England.

"Patriots killed it last night, man!! They're a good team! They're always gonna be good man ... They got Brady, Belichick and Kraft. Never gonna beat that!"

As for Antonio Brown, it's clear Gronk thinks AB will help an already impressive offense -- "They're beasts! They're all beasts! Everyone's a beast on the Patriots, baby!"

So, will Gronk come back and join the rest of gang before the end of the season???

Antonio Brown is a "monster" who just can't be tamed -- even by the great Bill Belichick ... so says ex-NFL quarterback Carson Palmer.

While everyone else in the NFL is predicting a Randy Moss 2.0 situation for AB -- AKA a guy who did nothing in the Bay Area but went on to set records in NE -- Palmer ain't so optimistic.

"I don't like the fit," Palmer said on FS1's "First Things First" ... noting Brown's wild off-the-field antics (especially his unpredictable social media habits) just won't mesh with Bill's "Patriot Way."

"AB is set in his ways," Palmer adds ... "Once you create that monster, which was created in Pittsburgh, it just takes off and runs. You can't then all of a sudden start pulling the reigns in."

"I don't like the fit. I don't like the match. I think it's gonna be really interesting over the next month or so to see what happens."

Belichick and the Pats happily added Brown to their roster over the weekend after the star receiver forced his way out of Oakland -- giving him a 1-year deal with an option for a 2nd year.

There's more ... Palmer also went on "105.3 The FAN" Tuesday morning to talk Dak Prescott -- and he suggested the Cowboys QB should take more than HALF of what top-tier signal-callers are making these days with his new contract.

"If I was him, I would not be asking for top money. If I’m a young QB, you have no better friend than great players around you."

Jerry Rice's daughter says Julian Edelman was a great prom date and a lovely boyfriend ... but she tells TMZ Sports her ultra-famous father wasn't so hot on the guy ...

"My dad wasn't always the nicest to him," Jaqui Rice says ... "But, I mean, I guess that's understandable because he's my dad, you know?"

33-year-old Julian grew up in the same Northern California neighborhood as Jerry in the 1990s ... and, turns out, he and the G.O.A.T.'s daughter had a thing for each other.

Jaqui joined the guys on the "TMZ Sports" TV show (airing weeknights on FS1) to explain it all ... and says, "This goes a while back. I've known Julian since we were kids."

"He played Pop Warner football, I was a Pop Warner cheerleader."

Jaqui says she and Julian dated -- and didn't just go to prom together -- but went to several other school dances ... despite not going to the same high school!!

As for how Jerry felt about the young Edelman ... Jaqui says the two didn't always have the most friendly relationship, telling the guys, "I think [Julian] was a little intimidated by my dad growing up."

Good news for everybody? Julian has seemed to have grown on Jerry -- the two attended the Kentucky Derby together back in 2017, and Jerry posted a cool pic with the Patriots star.

As for Jaqui and Julian, their romantic relationship didn't make it much further than high school ...  but she says she still considers Edelman a good friend!

By the way, Jaqui is helping her pops launch a new energy drink called G.O.A.T. FUEL ... and ya gotta hear why she says the stuff is going to change the energy drink game.

Jerry Rice says Antonio Brown deserves an Academy Award for the performance he put on in Oakland ... 'cause the superstar played EVERYONE like a fiddle to ultimately land with the Patriots.

The G.O.A.T. weighed in on the disastrous few weeks surrounding AB's time with the Raiders on 95.7 The Game on Monday ... saying Brown got exactly what he wanted all along, and channeled his inner Denzel Washington to make it happen.

"He was a Denzel Washington and he won the Oscar," Rice said. "He won an Oscar, guys. Imma be honest with you. Because He had all of us sold. Then all of a sudden, you started to get all of this drama, what was happening with the Raiders."

It seems Rice is insinuating that Brown had a master plan from the beginning to sabotage things in Oakland to force the team to cut him so he could sign with Bill Belichick's Pats.

"He was a Denzel all the way and he pulled it off. He really did."

Jerry admits AB personally played him too ... saying he took AB at his word when he said he wanted to be a San Francisco 49er earlier this year.

Illegally recording a phone conversation in California carries a maximum 1-year jail sentence ... which could be a BIG problem for Antonio Brown if Jon Gruden wants to stick it to the WR.

Patriots fans might want to pay attention ...

Obviously, the issue here is the video Antonio posted on social media Friday night (when he was still a Raider) which contained pieces of a phone call between AB and Gruden.

It seems obvious Gruden didn't know he was being recorded at the time of the call -- and if Antonio was in California (a 2-party consent state) when he pressed "record," he committed a misdemeanor crime.

It's all spelled out in California Penal Code 632 -- an invasion of privacy statute that essentially forbids the recording of a conversation without the knowledge/consent of both parties.

If convicted, it carries a maximum 1-year jail sentence, $2,500 in fines and other penalties.

So, if Gruden believes AB was in CA during the call (which is likely considering Brown was staying in a home near Raiders HQ in Northern California), Jon COULD report Brown to authorities with the intention of having Antonio prosecuted.

Of course, even if Brown was convicted, it's VERY unlikely he would get jail time -- but a criminal investigation/conviction would likely force the NFL to take action as well.

The NFL's Personal Conduct Policy not only allows the league to suspend a player for a criminal conviction, but it also allows the Commish to discipline a player who "undermines or puts at risk the integrity of the NFL, NFL clubs, or NFL personnel."

To our knowledge, the NFL has never dealt with an alleged illegal recording situation before -- so there's no precedent -- but it's clear they DON'T need a conviction to mete out punishment.

Ezekiel Elliott was neither charged nor convicted of a crime when the league hit him with a 6-game suspension following a domestic violence investigation in 2017.

Will Gruden or the Raiders choose this option? Again, unlikely ... but it all depends on how pissed off they are at the WR.

Who's feeling petty?!!?

Rob Gronkowski ain't retired from WHOOPIN' THAT ASS ... 'cause the ex-NFL superstar tells TMZ Sports he wants a WWE fight against his "wimp" friend Mojo Rawley!!!

The 30-year-old knows his way around the ring ... he famously helped Rawley win the Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal at WrestleMania 33 in 2017.

So, when the ex-Patriots tight end was out in NYC promoting his partnership with CBDMedic earlier this week, we had to ask if a full-time gig with WWE was in his future.

"My friend's in there and he's a little wimp, so I gotta go in that ring and whoop his ass!!!" Gronk tells us ... referring to his former partner as "Mojo 'Small Piece' Rawley!!!"

It's been a hot topic for YEARS ... given Gronk is a freak of nature and is hella charismatic. So, the fact that he called out his first fight opponent is a big deal.

But, as we previously reported ... Gronk says he's keeping his NFL window open, saying he could return if the desire comes back.

Rob Gronkowski says he's not closing the door on his NFL career -- saying he's open to strap on the pads again if he starts jonesing for some football action!

Gronk says his body is finally "pain free" after getting into bed with a CBD company called CBD Medic ... and he hosted a media event on Tuesday to announce his partnership.

In short, Gronk says CBD has helped him get right since retiring and he hopes the league and other star players like Tom Brady will help get CBD approved for pain management in the NFL.

And, since he feels good, Gronk was asked about rejoining the Patriots -- and the 30-year-old explained that he's keeping an open mind.

"If I have the desire to play football again, if I feel passionate about football again, if I'm feeling like I need to be out there on the field, I will go back to football," Gronk said.

"But, as of now, that's not the case."

"It could be the case in 6 months. It could be the case in 2 years, could be the case in 3 years, could be the case in 3 months. But, I truly don't see it in the foreseeable future, in like a week or a month."

Gronk says toward the end of his career, "Football was bringing me down and I didn't like it and I was losing that joy."

Now, the future Hall of Famer says he's enjoying life away from the game and hopes the fans will support him.

During the event, TMZ Sports also asked Gronk if he had advice to fellow retired NFL star Andrew Luck ... and the TE delivered a heartfelt message to the QB.

Gronk also talked about Tom Brady and said he's excited to talk to TB12 about using CBD in his health care.

Patriots safety Patrick Chung won't be in court Wednesday to face his cocaine charge ... he waived his arraignment hearing and had his attorney plead not guilty for him on Monday instead.

The New England defensive back was indicted by a grand jury in Belknap County, NH earlier this month after officials say Chung was found in possession of coke back on June 25.

Chung was slated to appear in court later this week to fight the charge ... but according to court officials, that hearing has been canceled after Chung's attorney entered a not guilty plea on the 32-year-old's behalf.

Chung is now slated to head back to court on Nov. 8 ... just 5 days after the Patriots play the Ravens on Sunday Night Football.

Chung's cocaine charge is a serious one ... the guy is facing 7 YEARS behind bars if he's convicted.

Chung -- who's helped New England win 3 Super Bowls -- has not played in the Patriots' 3 preseason games this month.

Head coach Bill Belichick has declined to comment on the safety's status ... and the team said in a statement last week, "We will not be commenting while his judicial proceedings take place."

Rob Gronkowski's retirement will end THIS SEASON ... so says ex-Patriots TE Jermaine Wiggins, who tells TMZ Sports, "You heard it here first, he's going to be back this year!"

30-year-old Gronk famously hung up his spikes this past spring ... but there haven't been many people who have believed he's truly done with football.

Wiggins -- who's still plugged in with the Patriots -- says count him on the side that thinks Gronk's going to make a comeback ... telling us, "I would bet money -- at this point in time, I'm, like, 97% sure he's going to come back."

And, why? Jermaine thinks Rob is just going to miss playing too much to not eventually come walking back into Bill Belichick's locker room later this year.

"He loves the limelight," Wiggins says ... "And, what better way to keep continue to build the Gronk brand by being out on the field?"

As for how successful Gronk will be after such a long layoff from football, Wiggins says he thinks the future Hall of Famer will have no trouble getting back into form.

In fact, Wiggins tells us he thinks the time off will actually HELP Gronk!!

New England Patriots star Patrick Chung has been indicted for cocaine possession and now faces PRISON time if convicted.

It all stems back to an incident in New Hampshire on June 25 when cops say the 32-year-old was in possession of coke.

The case went to a grand jury which ultimately decided to charge Chung with a Class B felony which carries up to 7 years in prison if convicted, according to the Laconia Daily Sun.

Chung -- who's won 3 Super Bowl rings with the Patriots -- is scheduled to be arraigned next week.

Officials say Chung was not formally arrested and there is no mug shot.

Details surrounding the incident are sparse -- we're working on it.

Story developing ...

Troubled NFL player Josh Gordon is getting another shot ... the league announced it will conditionally reinstate the receiver on Sunday.

The New England Patriots star was indefinitely suspended back in December for committing several violations of the league's substance abuse policy.

Gordon's been suspended several times since 2012 ... and also stepped away from the game to focus on his mental health last year.

The league made the news official on Friday, saying Gordon will be able to attend team practices and meetings ... but will not be able to play until he's properly conditioned.

NFL commissioner Roger Goodell released a statement ... saying "We are all rooting for Josh to succeed, both personally and professionally."