New England Patriots

Prosecutors and police in Pennsylvania have contacted the woman accusing Antonio Brown of rape -- but officials suggest it's unlikely they will move forward with criminal charges against the NFL star.

But, Brown might not be off the hook in Florida, where the accuser claims Brown forcibly raped her in 2018.

Remember, Britney Taylor alleges in a federal lawsuit filed earlier this month that, on TWO separate occasions in the Pittsburgh area in 2017, Brown sexually assaulted her.

Taylor claims AB exposed his penis to her and kissed her without her consent. She also alleges later that month he pleasured himself on her back without her consent.

Now, a spokesperson for the Allegheny County District Attorney's Office says both prosecutors AND the Allegheny County Police Dept. reached out to Taylor's attorneys to investigate the claims.

The issue, according to the D.A. ... "It appears there is a statute of limitations issue in moving forward with any inquiry involving the Allegheny County allegation mentioned in the lawsuit."

In other words, if Taylor wanted Brown prosecuted in Pennsylvania, she may have waited too long to make it happen.

We should note the way the D.A. phrased its statement seems to leave the door open for possible prosecution if they learn anything new.

But, the bigger issue is Florida ... where Taylor alleged the most serious crime was committed.

Sources tell us ... Miami-area prosecutors have NOT reached out to the accuser or her attorneys at this point and the statute of limitations in Florida has definitely NOT run out for a rape prosecution for an incident in May 2018.

As for whether Taylor would cooperate with an investigation in Florida, her attorneys have previously issued a statement saying they would work "with the NFL and any other agencies."

For his part, Brown has adamantly denied wrongdoing and his attorney has said they will consider their own legal options, including a countersuit.

As for the NFL, Taylor reportedly met with league investigators for 10 HOURS this week to tell her side of the story.

So far, no punishment has been handed down to Brown ... and he's expected to play again this weekend when the Patriots take on the Jets.

The woman accusing Antonio Brown of rape met with NFL officials on Monday in a 10-hour marathon session, where she spelled out her case against the Patriots star.

Britney Taylor did NOT travel to the league office in New York -- instead an NFL representative flew out to meet her, according to Yahoo Sports.

When they finally sat down, Taylor detailed her allegations against Brown in a 10-hour meeting, according to CNN.

As we previously reported, Taylor -- AB's former personal trainer -- is suing Brown, claiming he sexually assaulted her 3 times between 2017 and 2018 ... including a violent rape in May 2018.

Brown has denied the allegations, claiming Taylor is out for a money grab -- and says she's just bitter he wouldn't invest in her business plans for a gymnastics training center.

For what it's worth, Brown's accuser did not file a police report before filing the civil suit and law enforcement officials are not conducting a criminal investigation at this time.

The NFL is reportedly trying to set up a meeting with Brown as well to get his side of the story in person. No word on if/when that meeting will take place.

Just when Robert Kraft thought everyone had finally moved past his whole Asian massage parlor thing ... Robert De Niro put it right back in the spotlight with a joke at the Alec Baldwin 'Roast!'

De Niro was pretty funny at the Comedy Central event and closed with a zinger at Kraft's expense.

"Like Robert Kraft at a massage parlor, I want my Roast to have a happy ending," he told Baldwin before wrapping it up.

The crowd laughed. So did Baldwin. Guessing Mr. Kraft didn't find it so funny.

Other highlights from the 'Roast' ... De Niro threw a few jokes Caitlyn Jenner's way -- including this gem:

"Caitlyn Jenner. Now there's something different about you but I can't put my finger in it!"

Caitlyn shot back, "Yes, you can!!!" Good times ...

De Niro also went after Donald Trump ... telling the room:

"This is like that Moscow hotel room where a bunch of wh*res p*ssed all over Donald Trump."

There was more ... Jeff Ross killed. Blake Griffin was pretty great. Caroline Rhea was solid. And, Caitlyn Jenner brought the heat when it was her turn to roast.

While Tom Brady was throwin' bombs to his new teammate, Antonio Brown ... Rob Gronkowski was busy ass-shakin' to some Backstreet Boys in an epic dance-off with his GF!!

The retired Patriots superstar is staying active on his NFL Sundays ... teaming up with his bikini model lady, Camille Kostek, for a public workout at the Boston Seaport with his family's Gronk Fitness business.

The workouts are great and all ... but we're 100% here for the hot couple getting down and GETTING IT to BSB's "Everybody (Backstreet's Back)" ... while the whole crowd cheers them on.

The Patriots didn't need Gronk in their 43-0 domination over the Miami Dolphins ... and Gronk sure as hell didn't need the Pats to have a good time, either.

Of course ... maybe the 30-year-old is using BSB to send us a message -- if Backstreet's back, does that mean Gronk could be coming back too??

Antonio Brown looked confident as he deplaned in Miami with Tom Brady and the rest of the team, with all signs pointing to him taking the field Sunday ... despite rape allegations.

Brown arrived by private jet, and with Brady by his side the day before the Pats take on the Dolphins -- along with the fact Brown practiced with the team 3 times in the last week -- it seems pretty clear he'll helmet up.

Bill Belichick hasn't been definitive, although he did say the team is taking the allegations seriously.

As for Brown, he's strongly denying he did anything untoward with his accuser, saying the contact with Britney Taylor was all consensual. He also says, "The devil gonna try to bring you down when you get closer to your goal."

For her part, Taylor is meeting with NFL investigators Monday.

Antonio Brown wants to show he's not being shunned by his Patriots teammates -- it's the opposite -- with Tom Brady welcoming the embattled WR to his famous TB12 training facility.

AB went live on Instagram on Thursday to show fans that he got a tour of the facility and a private workout with Tom's personal guru, Alex Guerrero.

Brown had a message for his fans during the live stream ... saying "Stay focused. The devil gonna try to bring you down when you get closer to your goals. The key is, don't let him."

Brown has been at practice the past 2 days despite a sexual assault and rape allegation spelled out against him in a lawsuit filed in Florida.

Earlier this week, Bill Belichick said the Pats are taking the situation very seriously, but wouldn't say if they planned on having AB with them on the field on Sunday.

What's still unclear is if the Patriots knew about the allegations before they signed him to a 1-year, $15 million contract on Saturday.

Another interesting note -- the Patriots have a rep for being tough on players when it comes to posting on social media ... but AB's post seems pretty harmless, unlike the aggressive posting he did during his time with the Raiders.

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?!!?