Seven-time Pro Bowl wideout and 2015 NFL MVP in play for National Arena League?
Super Bowl LV champion wide receiver Antonio Brown plans on returning to football and may bring a former MVP quarterback along with him.
According to WNYT's Rodger Wyland, Brown intends to play for the National Arena League's Albany Empire as soon as their next home game, on May 27 against the Fayetteville Mustangs.
Should Brown not be able to attend Albany's matchup with Fayetteville, the 34-year-old says he will suit up for its June 17 home game against the Jacksonville Sharks at MVP Arena. His last appearance on the football field came against the New York Jets in Week 17 of the 2021 NFL season.
In the third quarter of that game, the seven-time Pro Bowler infamously stripped down and ran across the MetLife Stadium end zone before heading to the locker room and leaving the venue.
On Wednesday, WNYT reported that Brown also confirmed that he spoke with ex-NFL quarterback Cam Newton about joining the Empire in some capacity. Newton, who also last played in 2021, has been outspoken about an NFL return on multiple occasions this offseason and has expressed willingness to be a backup.
Earlier this month, Newton told reporter Josina Anderson that he believes teams aren't interested in signing him because of his hairstyle.
Brown originally stated he owned the Empire but later insisted that he has no control over the team. As it turns out, Antonio El-Allah Express Trust Enterprise holds a 95 percent ownership interest, with Charlotte and Steve von Schiller controlling the remaining 5 percent.
After winning the last two NAL titles, Albany – which is 1-3 this season – has had its share of controversy in 2023. At halftime of its season-opener, Brown was involved in a confrontation with an MVP Arena security guard when he refused to leave the field while signing autographs for fans.
Then, following an April 30 loss to the Carolina Cobras, Empire HC Damon Ware left the team. A lack of payment to the staff and roster, coupled with an incident on Albany's bus returning from North Carolina, resulting in multiple players receiving suspensions, led to Ware's departure.
Brown's comeback attempt is reportedly to increase the Empire's lackluster ticket sales as the average attendance this season is roughly 2,500, compared to 3,161 in 2021.
If the two All-Pro talents take the field, it's hard to imagine they won't draw a large crowd. Although, with Brown's track record, nobody can be certain whether he'll actually stay true to his word.
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