Josh Brown Released by Giants, But Damage Already Done

Josh Brown (AP Photo/Kathy Willens)

The New York Giants announced on Tuesday that they have released kicker Josh Brown from his contract.

After police documents were released regarding his domestic violence case from back in 2015, controversy has surrounded Brown, the Giants, and the NFL. Brown has gotten a negative reaction, deservedly so, for his actions against his ex-wife. The Giants are under fire for owner John Mara’s comments, saying they knew of Brown’s past. The NFL has a bad reputation for their past flubs on domestic violence incidents in the past two years.

Josh Brown released a statement earlier on Tuesday that, in all honesty, did not really get the sympathy that he was looking for.

“I am sorry that my past has called into question the character or integrity of The New York Giants, Mr. Mara or any of those who have supported me along the way. I have taken measures to get help so that I may be the voice of change, not a statistic. It is important to share that I never struck my wife, and never would. 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.”

It is absolutely dumbfounding that Brown would deny the fact that he ever struck his ex-wife, when King County Sheriff’s Department have sufficient evidence saying that Brown has physically abused Molly Brown multiple times throughout their marriage. This added to the ire of many people following this story.

An hour after this statement from Brown was released, the Giants subsequently released Brown from their contract. John Mara had the following comments in a statement regarding Brown’s release:

“We believed we did the right thing at every juncture in our relationship with Josh. Our beliefs, our judgments and our decisions were misguided.  We accept that responsibility. We hope that Josh will continue to dedicate himself to rehabilitation, and to becoming a better person and father.  We will continue to support him in his efforts to continue counseling, and we hope that Josh and his family can find peace and a positive resolution.”

Going back to comments Mara made on WFAN, these comments seem to serve the sole purpose of covering for themselves. It only makes Mara and the organization look that much worse by not doing the proper research into Brown’s domestic violence past. The Giants did not think of the victim in the case, Molly Brown. The organization could have easily approached Molly Brown about her personal experience with these domestic abuse incidents. However, the thought did not even cross their minds, and the organization is undergoing deserved criticism by the public.

If another team decides to sign Josh Brown to a contract, Brown would effectively go back onto the Commissioner’s Exempt List until the NFL comes up with a resolution, where he will not be allowed to attend the facility or practice. The NFL has a mighty weight on their shoulders, considering their past and with all of the evidence they have in Josh Brown’s case. The NFL has to rightfully lay the hammer down and make the correct and fair ruling.

Stay tuned as more updates continue to roll in, regarding Josh Brown’s punishment and a potential punishment for the New York Giants.