Antonio Brown's Sexual Assault Trial Moved Back -- To A Year From Now

Antonio Brown is back on the football field with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and by all accounts, he has been a good teammate and stayed out of trouble.

But there is the matter of a civil sexual assault lawsuit from his past that still has to go to trial. Per Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times, that trial has been set for Dec. 6, 2021. That moves the trial, originally set for this month, back an entire year.

So Brown will remain with the team. Buccaneers coach Bruce Arians initially indicated that Brown keeping his roster spot this season would be determined by the courts. So Brown is safe from losing his job for now.

As for next year, who knows? At some point, Brown will have to face a judge and jury, which will decide whether he is civilly liable for sexual assault and rape. While the trial isn't for another year, a lot of information surrounding the case could leak before then, and that could impact Brown, the Buccaneers and maybe even the NFL.

For now, though, everyone with the Bucs is just trying to get back to the team they assumed they'd be. They're still alive in the playoff race, despite dropping two in a row and falling to 7-5. But they have yet to show that they can beat the best of the best.

Brown has appeared in four games this season, compiling 168 yards on 20 receptions. He has yet to catch a touchdown pass. The Buccaneers are entering their bye week, before hosting the Minnesota Vikings on Dec. 13.

No explanation has been given for the decision to move Brown's trial to a year from now, other than that it was just the result of the court system being the court system.