Brown attends 1st practice with Patriots

Recently acquired New England Patriots wideout Antonio Brown attended his first practice with the team Wednesday following allegations of rape by a former trainer.

Antonio Brown, wearing No. 1, is here at #Patriots practice. Would need to pick a different number for games. pic.twitter.com/iIKDoMTtIV

- Jim McBride (@globejimmcbride) September 11, 2019

Earlier Wednesday, Patriots head coach Bill Belichick said that the team would be taking the situation with Brown "one day at a time" ahead of Sunday's matchup with the Miami Dolphins, according to the Boston Herald's Karen Guregian.

Brown was accused of rape by Britney Taylor in a federal lawsuit filed Tuesday, just one day after he officially signed with the Patriots, his third team in six months.

The receiver's lawyer later released a statement refuting all claims made against his client. The Patriots also put out a statement, saying they are taking this situation seriously but will reserve further comment until the NFL conducts its investigation.

Belichick's midweek pressers usually last around 15 minutes, but on this occasion, he spoke for under five minutes before leaving abruptly after a stream of questions about Brown's legal situation, according to the Boston Herald's Kevin Duffy.

"I'm done with that," Belichick replied when asked again about the receiver. "Anything on Miami?"

Neither the league nor the Patriots knew about the lawsuit when Brown signed with New England, according to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport. Belichick declined to comment when asked whether the team had been aware, NESN.com's Doug Kyed reported.

Meanwhile, the NFL is considering placing Brown on the commissioner's exempt list and will begin its investigation on Wednesday. The league reportedly plans to meet with Taylor, the former trainer, next week.

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