Antonio Brown Hires Ed Wasielewski as New Agent Amid NFL Comeback Bid

Antonio Brown will have a new agent as he attempts to make an NFL comeback. 

According to ESPN's Adam Schefter, the wide receiver has hired Ed Wasielewski of EMG Sports to serve as his representation. 

Brown's former agent, Drew Rosenhaus, cut ties with him in January, saying he wouldn't represent him unless he got counseling, per Schefter. Attorney Darren Heitner also stopped representing Brown in a lawsuit related to damages he allegedly caused to a rental condo that was brought forth against the wide receiver in 2018. 

The veteran wide receiver started 2019 as a member of the Pittsburgh Steelers, before forcing a trade to the Oakland Raiders. His relationship with the Raiders deteriorated quickly, however, and he was released ahead of the season. The New England Patriots signed him, though Brown played just one game for the team, catching four passes for 56 yards and a score.

But the Pats released him amid accusations of sexual assault and misconduct. His former trainer, Britney Taylor, accused him of rape and sexual assault in a September lawsuit, while another woman accused him of inappropriate sexual advances and of sending her intimidating text messages when she told her story publicly. The NFL investigation into the allegations is still ongoing.

Brown spent much of the remainder of the 2019 season putting the NFL on blast and subsequently apologizing, a pattern that repeated more than once. 

In January Brown was arrested on charges of felony burglary conveyance, misdemeanor battery and misdemeanor criminal mischief, putting his NFL future further in doubt. The NFL also reserves the right to discipline Brown even if he is acquitted of those charges or is not held liable in Taylor's civil case, meaning if a team does sign him, Brown could nevertheless be facing a suspension. 

Given that Brown has spent the past year in the news cycle for the wrong reasons, it's also possible many teams will choose to avoid the potential PR hit of signing the 31-year-old. Brown has been one of the league's best wide receivers for a long time, but there is no guarantee he'll ever see an NFL field again.