LONDON -- Giants coach Ben McAdoo arrived in London Friday morning to answer a fresh set of questions about his kicker Josh Brown. The Giants left Brown behind in New York in light of the release of additional documents stemming from his 2015 domestic violence arrest.
McAdoo said he had a "tough conversation" with Brown when he informed the kicker he would not travel with the team to London for Sunday's game against the Los Angeles Rams. The Giants coach informed the other members of the Giants on Thursday of his decision by going around to each position meeting room and telling them the news.
The first-year Giants head coach was short on specifics about what he knew regarding the new information about Brown, saying he wanted to get "all the facts" before commenting further.
"We're looking to get as much information as we can to make an informed decision," McAdoo said repeatedly during media availability Friday in London.
While McAdoo said that "everything's concerning," he made reiterated the team had made no final decision about Brown's future and emphasized the team is trying to support him.
"We're not going to turn our back on Josh," McAdoo said.
NFL.com obtained 165 pages of documents from the King County (Washington) Sheriff's Office on Wednesday regarding Brown's arrest. It includes a signed document in which he admitted to physically, verbally and emotionally abusing his then-wife, Molly Brown. Further documentation obtained Thursday details Josh allegedly violating a restraining order, three 911 calls Molly made and the difficulty prosecutors encountered in trying to get her to cooperate with them in their investigation.
"In light of the news reports regarding the documents released by the State of Washington yesterday, we think it makes sense to review this newly disclosed information and to revisit this issue following our trip to London," the team said in a statement Thursday.
Quarterback Eli Manning and McAdoo downplayed any "distraction" to the team as they arrived in London two days before suiting up against the Rams.
"Each and every week, it seems like there is something we're talking about other than the game. That's the whole league now," McAdoo said.
McAdoo confirmed that kicker Robbie Gouldwould be joining the team Friday. The team arrived in London on Friday and met with the British media, but it was a lot more tense than the atmosphere surrounding the Rams in Surrey, England, all week. The Giants will hold a walkthrough practice Saturday where Gould will work with his new snapper and holder.
The NFL announced Thursday that it is reopening its investigation into Brown in light of the release of additional documents regarding his May 2015 domestic violence arrest. The NFL stated it will thoroughly review the newly revealed allegations against Brown, who practiced with the Giants on Thursday before the team left for London.
"NFL investigators made repeated attempts -- both orally and in writing -- to obtain any and all evidence and relevant information in this case from the King County Sheriff's Office," the league said in a Thursday statement. "Each of those requests was denied and the Sheriff's Office declined to provide any of the requested information, which ultimately limited our ability to fully investigate this matter. We concluded our own investigation, more than a year after the initial incident, based on the facts and evidence available to us at the time and after making exhaustive attempts to obtain information in a timely fashion. It is unfortunate that we did not have the benefit or knowledge of these materials at the time."
"In light of the release of these documents yesterday, we will thoroughly review the additional information and determine next steps in the context of the NFL Personal Conduct Policy. We will not be making any comments on potential discipline until that time.
The league suspended Brown one game at the beginning of the 2016 season for violating the league's Personal Conduct Policy after conducting a 10-month long investigation. NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport reported there's a chance Brown could end up on the Commissioner's Exempt List as it conducts its new investigation into the allegations against him.
