Former NFL star Antonio Brown has been preparing for his return to football with the Albany Empire, the National Arena League team that he owns. He may also not entirely have given up on his hopes for an NFL return.
Brown has teased his debut for the Albany Empire in multiple social media posts recently.
He took the field for practice on Thursday, being seen running routes as he prepares to take the field for his team in their upcoming matchup on Saturday.
Antonio Brown ran one route at @thealbanyempir practice today.
He says he plans on playing Saturday against Fayetteville, but did not specify how much. Hear from Brown coming up on @WTEN at 6. pic.twitter.com/rqXOnvhWwG
— Griffin Haas (@Griffin__Haas) May 25, 2023
His agent JR Ricker discussed Brown’s future on the football field on Thursday. He didn’t rule out a potential return to the NFL, even saying that he has received “genuine interest” from NFL teams ahead of the 2023-24 season.
“He is exploring the right fit,” Ricker told Cody Benjamin of CBS Sports.
Ricker obviously has Brown’s best interest at hand, so this could just be him trying to garner attention toward Brown’s debut for the arena football league.
The seven-time Pro-Bowler hasn’t played in the NFL since the 2021-22 season. He left on controversial terms after walking out of a game while playing for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
He is now 34 years old and his best playing days are likely behind him. However, he can certainly still provide value for some NFL teams if he were open to taking a role as a veteran locker room presence.
That being said, his past antics probably makes it more likely that an NFL return would end in a complete disaster instead of a huge success.
