Ex-Patriots WR Antonio Brown Returning to Indoor League With Cam Newton?

The brief New England Patriots receiver says he's taking his talent (and temperament) to arena football.

When the Empire strikes back, they'll have Antonio Brown with them.

Per a report from New York television station WNYT, the former New England Patriots receiver will return to football later this month. Brown says he's set to take the field for the Albany Empire, a team he owns in the National Arena League. It'll be Brown's first football action since his infamous NFL exit at the end of the 2021 season, when he left a Tampa Bay Buccaneers game in the middle of a play at MetLife Stadium.

Albany Empire Owner Antonio Brown told me he is going to suit up and play for the Empire as soon as their next home game May 27th at MVP Arena. Brown is a 7 time NFL Pro-Bowler WR who played 10 years with the Steelers. @WNYT @albanyempire

— Rodger Wyland (@RodgerWyland) May 17, 2023

Brown also claims he has spoken to former Patriots' quarterback Cam Newton about joining the franchise "in some capacity."

Indoor football returned to Albany in 2021, with the Empire bearing the same name as the group from the defunct (and supposedly returning) Arena Football League. Brown will play in the Empire's next home game on May 27 against the Fayetteville Mustangs at MVP Arena. Albany has lost three in a row after winning its opening game against Orlando on Apr. 16. 

Brown's ownership of the Empire is his latest controversial football stunt.

In a report from The Times Union, the receiver claimed that he's "100 percent" the owner of the team, though a letter from his representatives claims he has no direct control of the Empire, the two-time defending NAL champions. Instead, the team is instead said to be owned by a foreign trust of which he is a representative. 

Though Brown lasted just a single game in Foxboro - released after a sexual assault allegation - the aftermath has grown the infamy behind it. Brown has been vocal about his brief time with the Patriots, often targeting then-quarterback Tom Brady in his barbs against the team. 

Earlier this offseason, Brown created an NFL-related stir on social media when he declared that he would return to the field as a member of the Baltimore Ravens though his claims were refuted fairly quickly. 

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Geoff Magliocchetti is on Twitter @GeoffJMags

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