Josh Brown apologizes, wants to be 'voice of change'
New York Giants kicker Josh Brown released a statement Tuesday apologizing and saying he has "taken measures to get help" for his alleged domestic abuse and wants to be a "voice of change, not a statistic."
"It is important to share that I never struck my wife, and never would," Brown said in a statement to ESPN's Adam Schefter. "Abuse takes many forms, and is not a gray area. Through the past several years I have worked to identify and rectify my own behaviors. The road to rehabilitation is a journey and a constant modification of a way of life. My journey will continue forever as a person determined to leave a positive legacy and I embrace the opportunities to show and speak about what has helped me to be that man.
"In the interim, I am cooperating with the Giants and the NFL. Thank you to everyone that has supported me, I will not let you down."
Brown was placed on the commissioner's exempt list on Friday, when NFL senior vice president Adolpho Birch sent a letter to Brown saying the league wanted to investigate released documents in which the kicker acknowledged physical, verbal and emotional abuse against his wife, Molly Brown. The couple has filed for divorce.
By being placed on the exempt list, Brown is still able to collect his base salary of approximately $1.15 million and is permitted to attend the Giants facility "for meetings, individual workouts, therapy and rehabilitation, and other permitted non-football activities." He is not allowed to attend practices or games.
The NFL suspended Brown for the 2016 season opener after his arrest in a domestic violence case from May 2015, for which he was not charged. Brown appeared in five games for the Giants before being placed on the exempt list.
The NFL implemented a six-game suspension for domestic violence cases in 2014. The policy allows for aggravating circumstances that can make the suspension longer or mitigating circumstances that can make it shorter.
Information from ESPN's Jordan Raanan was used in this report.
