NFL commissioner Goodell expresses concern for Antonio Brown's wellbeing

The NFL commissioner, Roger Goodell, has expressed concern for the health of Antonio Brown after a string of troubling incidents involving the wide receiver over the last year.

“The first thing always is to think about the well-being of Antonio, to understand what Antonio is going through,” Goodell said during his annual state of the league address in the run-up to Sunday’s Super Bowl. “We don’t talk about the wellness of our players publicly, but I can tell you that you can be sure that the NFL and NFLPA have tremendous amount of resources available to all players. They are going to be made available to Antonio.”

Related: Antonio Brown quits NFL, and references Kraft massage parlor charges

Brown was released from house arrest earlier this week after surrendering himself to police on charges he and his trainer had attacked a moving-truck driver. The 31-year-old was released by the New England Patriots in September after he was the subject of allegations of sexual assault. He will not face criminal charges over any of the sexual assault allegations. He played just once for the Patriots following a tumultuous offseason that culminated with his release from the Oakland Raiders without having played a single game for the team. He subsequently attacked Patriots owner Robert Kraft and former teammate Ben Roethlisberger on Twitter.

“We want to help get him on the right track, get him in a position where he can be successful in life. We are confident that can happen,” Goodell said. “We want to work hard to do that. From our standpoint, that is the first step. The first step is making sure that we’re doing everything to help Antonio.”

Brown is still on bail for the charges relating to the truck driver, the terms of which include submitting to a mental health evaluation. He faces a civil suit over the sexual assault allegations. He has previously said he has retired from the NFL but on Tuesday he told USA Today he felt guilt about how his recent behavior has affected his young fans, and expressed his wish to return to football.

“I’m going to make [my fans] proud, man,” Brown said. “I’m planning to come back to the NFL.”

Brown, who became one of football’s most prolific offensive players with the Pittsburgh Steelers, was traded to Oakland last March but signed a contract with New England in September after he left the Raiders. Brown recorded 686 catches and 9,145 receiving yards over his last six seasons with the Steelers, the highest totals for a receiver over a six-year span in NFL history.