Ex-NFL star Antonio Brown to play for Albany Empire after taking over ownership: report

Antonio Brown last played in an NFL game on Jan. 2, 2022, when he famously walked off the field at MetLife Stadium with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers trailing the New York Jets. 

Now, more than a year later, Brown is suiting up again but this time for a different league. 

The former Pittsburgh Steelers wideout told WNYT’s Rodger Wyland on Wednesday that he plans to dress for the Albany Empire, the National Arena League team that he owns, in a game on either May 27 or June 17.

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Brown told the outlet the purpose would be to drive ticket sales, which WNYT reports are averaging at around 2,500 a game. 

Brown played nine seasons for the Steelers before being traded to the Raiders in 2019. He was eventually released following a number of issues and was eventually signed by the New England Patriots.

He played just one game for the Patriots before he was cut following allegations of sexual misconduct. While serving an eight-game suspension for violating the league’s personal conduct policy, Brown was signed by the Bucs in 2020 and would go on to win his first Super Bowl.

He signed a one-year contract to return to the Bucs in 2021 but was eventually released in January after walking off the field in a game against the Jets that Tampa Bay would eventually come back to win. 

Browns’ first year as an owner has also been less than smooth. 

Head coach Tom Menas, who coached the Albany Empire to back-to-back championships, was fired before the start of the season but was eventually brought back this month after his replacement, coach Damon Ware, and several players were suspended following a public dispute over payments and an incident on the team’s bus.

The Empire is 1-3 this season. Brown told WNYT that he hopes his appearance will fill up MVP Arena with 10,000 fans.