NFL says it will review newly released Josh Brown documents

ByJORDAN RAANAN
October 20, 2016, 3:11 PM

— -- The NFL announced Thursday that it will review newly released documents in which New York Giants kicker Josh Brown admitted to domestic abuse.

Brown's admissions were revealed Wednesday by the King County (Washington) Sheriff's Office as part of his final case file, stemming from a May 2015 arrest following an incident with his wife, Molly Brown.

The sheriff's and prosecutor's offices initially decided to postpone the filing of charges, pending further investigation, with the sheriff's office recommending that the prosecutor's office file charges of two counts of fourth-degree domestic assault. Charges have not been filed.

In one of Brown's journal entries obtained as part of the investigation, he wrote, "I have abused my wife."

The league, which had already conducted its own investigation earlier this year and suspended Brown one game for violation of the league's conduct policy, said in a statement Thursday that it made repeated attempts to obtain any and all evidence and relevant information from the case.

The league's full statement reads:

"NFL investigators made repeated attempts -- both orally and in writing -- to obtain any and all evidence and relevant information in this case from the King County Sheriff's Office. Each of those requests was denied and the Sheriff's Office declined to provide any of the requested information, which ultimately limited our ability to fully investigate this matter. We concluded our own investigation, more than a year after the initial incident, based on the facts and evidence available to us at the time and after making exhaustive attempts to obtain information in a timely fashion. It is unfortunate that we did not have the benefit or knowledge of these materials at the time.

"In light of the release of these documents yesterday, we will thoroughly review the additional information and determine next steps in the context of the NFL Personal Conduct Policy. We will not be making any comments on potential discipline until that time."

The Giants claim they were unaware of Brown's admissions of domestic violence in journal entries, emails and letters, according to a team spokesman. Co-owner John Mara said in August they were comfortable re-signing Brown this offseason after reviewing all the information at their disposal.

An NFL Players Association source told ESPN's Jane McManus on Thursday that the union was not aware of Brown's journals that admitted abuse before they were revealed to the media.

Baltimore Ravens wide receiver Steve Smith Sr., who watched his mother suffer abuse when he was a child, took to Twitter to blast Brown and wrote, "what a shame NFL acts like it cares." Smith also has called out former Carolina Panthers teammate Greg Hardy in the past for his comments on domestic violence.

Former Giants quarterback Sage Rosenfels tweeted that the Giants should cut Brown.

Brown was on the practice field with teammates on Thursday afternoon. The Giants are set to travel later in the day to London for a matchup with the Los Angeles Rams.

Brown has made 11 of his 12 field-goal attempts since returning from suspension. The Giants re-signed him to a two-year, $4 million deal this offseason.

Mara said after the suspension and Molly Brown's claims of more than 20 domestic violence incidents became public that, "I believe all the facts and circumstances, and we were comfortable with our decision to re-sign him." Molly Brown's interview with police did mention a letter in which Brown admitted to domestic violence was sent to friends.

Giants coach Ben McAdoo also said in August that he supported Brown "as a man, a father and a player."