NFL

Antonio Brown is being sued by a woman who claims the New England Patriots star WR sexually assaulted and raped her during 3 separate encounters ... this according to a new lawsuit obtained by TMZ Sports.

The woman behind the lawsuit, who identifies herself as Britney Taylor, says she was hired by Brown as a personal trainer. Taylor claims the first incident happened in June 2017 during a training session when "Brown exposed himself and kissed [her] without her consent."

Taylor then describes a second alleged incident ... "Later that month, Brown, while positioned behind her, began masturbating near her without her knowledge and ejaculated on her back."

Taylor claims the first incident occurred at Brown's home in Pittsburgh and the second incident occurred at Brown's home in Florida.

According to the lawsuit, filed in federal court in Florida, Taylor claims Brown bragged about the incident to her in "profane and angry text messages."

Several months later, the accuser claims Brown reached out to her to express contrition and "begged forgiveness."

Taylor claims Brown begged her to continue training him -- and after initial hesitation, she ultimately agreed.

However, the woman claims nearly a year later -- on May 20, 2018 "Brown cornered [her] forced her down onto a bed, pushed her face into the mattress, and forcibly raped her."

The woman claims she tried to fight back but Brown was "too strong and physically overpowered her."

In the suit, the woman claims she screamed and cried throughout the entire incident -- repeatedly shouting "no" and "stop."

Brown refused to stop, according to the suit, and penetrated her, the woman claims.

In her suit, Taylor describes herself as a "28-year-old world class gymnast" who competed at "elite levels of international competition."

In her suit, Taylor claims she met Antonio Brown while they were both student athletes at Central Michigan University where they participated in a Fellowship of Christian Athletes group.

Great news!!!

Oakland Raiders star cornerback Gareon Conley tells TMZ Sports the X-rays on his neck, following that scary injury on "Monday Night Football," came out good ... and he expects to play next week!

Conley was laid out on the field for roughly 10 minutes after suffering a neck injury while trying to tackle Denver Broncos running back Royce Freeman.

It appeared Conley took heavy impact from hard-hitting Raiders' teammate Johnathan Abram -- who assisted on the tackle. Conley was eventually carried off the field on a stretcher and taken to a nearby hospital for treatment.

We reached out to Conley's camp on Tuesday to see how he was doing, and he sent us back a video telling us he got great news from the doctors!

"I had X-rays and everything on my neck. Everything came out good," Conley says ... "So, I'll be ready to play next week, man. I'm good!"

Conley also thanked all of the fans who kept him in their thoughts and prayers.

The Raiders dominated the Broncos on 'MNF' earning their first win of the 2019 season.

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."

Neiron Ball -- a beloved ex-Florida Gators football star -- has died at 27 after a long battle with a rare brain disorder, his family announced.

Ball was a stud at UF from 2011 to 2014 despite being diagnosed with Brain AVM (arteriovenous malformation) ... a condition characterized by tangled blood vessels in the brain. It reportedly affects less than 1% of the population.

Ball was hospitalized in 2011 after collapsing during football practice. Doctors determined he was suffering from a brain bleed and required surgery.

Despite the crippling condition, Ball recovered and GOT BACK ON THE FOOTBALL FIELD -- and he played so well, the Oakland Raiders selected the pass rusher in the 5th round of the 2015 NFL Draft.

Ball racked up 9 tackles, a fumble recovery and a sack his rookie year.

But, he suffered an injury and was released the next season.

In 2018, Ball reportedly suffered a brain aneurysm and was placed in a medically induced coma. His sister said Ball's health suffered tremendously -- describing him as a quadriplegic who could only communicate using his eyes.

The family announced Ball passed away Monday morning -- saying, "Neiron was a very special and loving father, brother, and teammate. Neiron has transitioned to a place of peace."

The Florida Gators football team posted a tribute on social media -- "Rest in Peace, Neiron. You'll be forever remembered and always missed. Our thoughts and prayers are with your family during this difficult time."

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."

Odell Beckham Jr. doesn't give a damn about the NFL's jewelry policy ... 'cause the Cleveland Browns superstar says he's gonna keep wearing his flashy $350k watch during games.

Aside from the Brownies getting rocked by the Titans on Sunday, the biggest story coming out of Cleveland was OBJ rocking a bougie Richard Mille watch during the game.

Of course ... the league has a rule against wearing "hard objects"... which means Beckham's wrist drip is NOT allowed.

But, OBJ told Cleveland.com on Tuesday he's DETERMINED to rock the watch on the field again -- claiming people are blowing the situation way out of proportion for 2 reasons ...

1. The price of the watch. OBJ says if he was wearing a cheap $20 timepiece no one would care (wrong BTW, we'd care even MORE).
2. Odell says it's all about him -- people make a big deal out of ANYTHING he does.

The NFL reportedly planned on speaking with Odell about the watch situation -- but clearly, his mind is already made up.

Senator Marco Rubio strongly believes Colin Kaepernick has the talent to be on an NFL roster -- telling TMZ Sports it's not CK's skill that's preventing him from playing in the league.

The Republican politician is a HUGE football fan -- and with the Jacksonville Jaguars losing their starting QB, Nick Foles, to a shoulder injury, some people think the Jags should kick the tires on Kaepernick.

Rubio is one of those people ... telling us straight-up, "Certainly there aren't 64 better QBs playing in the NFL right now."

Marco notes that NFL personnel decisions are based on more than just talent and ability -- but makes it clear he thinks Colin's current unemployment status is about more than what he can do on the field.

"I'm not an NFL owner but I can tell you I don't think there are 64 better quarterbacks ... that's obviously not football that's keeping him away."

Rubio says the shot callers on NFL teams "think he brings many other things with him that they don't want around" ... an obvious reference to the media firestorm over Colin's kneeling protest.

We asked Marco if he would consider Colin if he ran the Jags ... and this is what he told us.

"If I were an owner, and he was the best guy, I'd bring him in despite the other stuff. But, there's a lot that goes into that."

We all know how President Donald Trump feels about Kaepernick ... he's called for the NFL to fire any "son of a bitch" who doesn't stand for the national anthem.

Chill, New York Jets fans ... your team doesn't suck/the season ain't over -- despite the crushing Week 1 loss to the Bills.

TMZ Sports talked to Gang Green legend Nick Mangold after the Jets blew a 16-point, 2nd-half lead at home ... and the former All-Pro who played 11 seasons for the team says he's hurtin' after the L ... but there's a lot of football to be played.

"That stung. Being up 16 to nothing with, I think, like 2 minutes left to go in the 3rd quarter, and to see it crumble away with the missed kicks, not really finding a rhythm on offense, not capitalizing on those 4 turnovers, that hurts. And, so it's gonna be a long road 'til Monday when we can play again."

"Hopefully, the guys are gonna get back in the building, they're gonna put their head down, they're gonna get to work, and that's all you can ask for."

But, how 'bout franchise QB Sam Darnold -- who threw for 175 yards and a touchdown -- but wasn't exactly moving the ball up and down the field???

"I think Sam was doing as well as he could. The offensive line, having not played in the preseason together, and still working out some of the kinks and everything, you kinda expect some hiccups here and there."

"You gotta give credit to the Bills defense too. They were flying around making plays. I think with another week of practice, another week of being together, hopefully we'll shore things up as we get ready for the Browns."

Bottom line ... nobody panic.

"We'll keep grinding. It's still a long season. 15 more games to go. If they win all 15, you'll forget about this one completely."

We also talked CBD with Nick (he's working with a company called MotiveCBD -- who specialize in products for athletes) and Mangold tells us what Cannabidiol has done for his body after 11 seasons of pro football.

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.

New footage of that insane brawl involving Philadelphia 76ers player Mike Scott and a bunch of Eagles fans shows the 6'8" baller throwing wild HAYMAKERS ... and the video is crystal clear.

31-year-old Scott -- a Virginia native and big-time Redskins fan -- got into an all-out brawl with Eagles fans Sunday before the game at Lincoln Financial Field in Philly.

It's still unclear exactly why the brawl broke out in the first place -- though there are rumblings it had to do with a coffin some Eagles fans had brought to the tailgate.

There's been speculation Scott thought the coffin was there to mock late Redskins star Sean Taylor, though that has NOT been confirmed.

The new footage is wild -- showing Scott throwing a ferocious overhand right at an Eagles fan ... followed by a 2nd haymaker that sends the guy flying to the ground.

A flock of Eagles fans give chase and close in on Scott while another man desperately tries to hold Scott back.

Eventually, things simmer down and everyone went their separate ways. Scott has not been arrested or charged with a crime. Neither were the other men involved.

A Cleveland Browns fan was hospitalized Sunday after suffering a seizure and falling off of a van while tailgating in the stadium parking lot ... and it was captured during a live news broadcast.

40-year-old Andy Shepherd -- a die-hard Browns fan -- was standing on his van taking pictures of the pre-game celebration when he suddenly collapsed and fell off the van, slamming onto the concrete.

It just so happens a reporter from Cleveland 19 News was broadcasting live from the parking lot while covering the game ... and the footage went viral.

What people didn't know ... Shepherd's son says his father is epileptic and takes medication to prevent seizures. The family says the fall was a result of an epileptic episode and they're upset some people are making a joke out of the situation.

Shepherd was transported to a nearby hospital where he was treated for a broken shoulder, broken ribs and a fractured skull. His son also claims he's dealing with a blood clot and needs surgery.

The good news ... Andy's son says his dad is on the mend but he's still in the hospital. He's started a GoFundMe campaign to help with medical costs.

Tennessee Titans defensive back Logan Ryan is PISSED at a Cleveland Browns fan who splashed him -- and his teammates -- with beer after a TD ... and now he's calling on the NFL to punish the guy.

It all went down in the 4th quarter of the Titans blowout victory over the Browns at FirstEnergy Stadium in Cleveland ... right after Tenn. star Malcolm Butler scored on a pick-6.

You can see Butler, Ryan and other Titans jump into the stands to celebrate with a Titans fan -- when a guy in a Browns jersey starts throwing his beer on all of the opposing players.

It looks like Ryan tried to swat the guy's beer away when he saw what was happening -- and early Monday morning, he tweeted about the situation -- tagging the NFL, the NFL Player's Association and the Browns in the hopes that something will be done.

"They can pour beer on us because we’re just athletes right? We’re just entertainment & since they purchased a ticket they can act how they want?"

Remember, just last season the New England Patriots banned a fan for LIFE for throwing a beer at Chiefs star Tyreek Hill after a long touchdown run.

In fact, the Pats say they worked with law enforcement to help get the fan prosecuted.

Robert Griffin III's first TD pass since 2016 on Sunday almost never happened ... the former Heisman Trophy winner just revealed he nearly quit football to switch to track.

RGIII was cut from the Browns after the 2016 season ... and that's when he says he thought about giving up the game, writing on social media on Monday that he "contemplated" the move.

Of course, the 29-year-old was a superstar on the track back in the day ... he set state records in high school as a hurdler -- and even killed it when he ran for one season at Baylor.

His wife, Grete, is also a former college track athlete who competed at Florida State. We've posted video of the two training together over the years.

The track dreams appeared to have died after RG3 won the Heisman Trophy in 2011 and becoming an immediate superstar for the Washington Redskins.

But, Griffin says when his whole career bottomed out after his time in Cleveland, he thought about going back, writing on a list of things he's gone through since his Browns release, "The contemplating of a transition back to track."

Griffin ended up sticking with football ... and playing in just his fourth game since '16, he threw a touchdown pass to Mark Andrews in the Ravens' blowout of the Dolphins.

"You see.....there is always more to the story than meets the eye," Griffin says ... "Everyone sees the result but doesn’t know what you had to go through to get there."

"Never count yourself out and always be ready. Thank You @ravens Coach Harbaugh and my great teammates for helping me every step of the way. Let’s keep it rolling."

By the way, RG3's wife gave birth to their 2nd child on Saturday -- 24 hours before Griffin's game. RG3 posted a pic of their brand new baby daughter calling her "amazing!"