Pete Carroll says Seahawks are ‘tuned into’ the possibility of signing Antonio Brown

The Seahawks’ consideration of signing Brown is in the early stages, Carroll said.

“We’re nowhere there right now,” he said. “Let’s wait and see what happens in all that. We do all of the homework we can think of doing. We’ll never think that we can leave a stone unturned. And so that’s how we approach everything. So we’ll continue to do that here.”

Brown is eligible to be signed and will be permitted to play when his suspension expires, according to a person familiar with the situation. An investigation by the NFL into allegations of sexual assault made against Brown remains open, but no conclusions have been reached, according to that person, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the topic.

Brown could face additional disciplinary measures if the NFL finds what it considers credible evidence to support a finding that he committed further violations of the league’s personal conduct policy, according to that person.

Brown’s eight-game suspension was imposed July 31 for what the NFL called multiple violations of the conduct policy. Those violations were independent of the accusations of sexual assault and rape made against Brown by Britney Taylor, a former college classmate who later worked for him as a trainer. Brown denied the allegations and filed a counterclaim in response to a lawsuit filed by Taylor.

With Week 7 of the NFL season beginning Thursday, Brown’s reinstatement could be coming soon. ESPN reported Wednesday that other NFL teams in addition to the Seahawks could be interested in signing him.

Carroll declined to assess the chances of the Seahawks signing Brown and said: “This is what happens. This is a high-profile football player and he’s had a tremendous history and all that. The fact that everybody is curious about it, it makes sense.”

Brown, 32, was a seven-time Pro Bowl selection for the Pittsburgh Steelers but has not played in the NFL since a one-game stint with the New England Patriots early last season. He was traded from the Steelers to the Raiders, then based in Oakland, before the 2019 season but never played a game for the Raiders, being released by the team at his request after multiple incidents. The Patriots released him after one game.

Another woman who painted a mural for Brown accused him of sending her threatening text messages after it was reported that she had ignored unwanted sexual advances by him. In June, Brown pleaded no contest to charges in Florida related to a January incident involving a moving truck. Brown reportedly was given probation and community service and was ordered to attend an anger management program as part of his no-contest plea, in which he accepted punishment without formally admitting guilt to a felony burglary with battery charge and two misdemeanor charges.

The NFL’s eight-game suspension was based on the alleged text messages and the case in Florida. It took effect Sept. 5, just before the NFL regular season began.