Antonio Brown gets slammed on NFL Twitter after announcing surprising return to football

Antonio Brown gets slammed on NFL Twitter after announcing surprising return to football - “He should be in a jail cell”

By Bethany Cohen

Modified May 22, 2023 13:23 GMT

Could Antonio Brown be making a comeback to the football field?

Antonio Brown is making headlines once again. The former wide receiver has announced that he is returning to football but, not the National Football League.

He will play for the Albany Empire, a team in the Arena Football League that he is the majority owner of. Brown fired two head coaches, refused to pay his players, and even locked them out of their hotel rooms, resulting in some of the players quitting. Brown will apparently play in the team's next home game on May 27.

After NFL Insider Dov Kleiman shared the news, fans were quick to comment on the newest development from the former NFL wide receiver.

Some said that he shouldn't be allowed to play football professionally. Others expect this to be just another chaotic event. Few questioned if he has paid any of his players as of yet.

Is Antonio Brown recruiting QB Cam Newton to play in AFL?

Antonio Brown recently told Sports Illustrated's Rodger Wyland that his team, the Albany Empire, is struggling to sell tickets. Attendance is down for the Empire, despite the fact that they are the defending Arena Football League champions.

The former NFL wide receiver believes that by deciding to play for the team he will be able to sell tickets for home games. He reportedly has also asked free agent NFL quarterback Cam Newton if he would join him in Albany.

Newton hasn't played in the National Football League since the 2021 season. He was signed by the New England Patriots in 2020 and was released before the start of the 2021 NFL season. He then re-signed with the Carolina Panthers, where he finished the season.

He has yet to sign with another team in the league. While it may be a tough sell to convince Cam Newton to join the Arena Football League, Brown is going to try. If he and Newton were to suit up for the Albany Empire, tickets would definitely be sold.

About the author

Bethany Cohen is an NFL writer at Sportskeeda, with a rich prior 15-year experience in the sports writing industry, primarily covering the MLB and MiLB. She majored in Communications from the University of South Florida and has previously worked for top companies such as Examiner.com and Legends on Deck.

Bethany owes her NFL allegiance to the Pittsburgh Steelers owing to their long-standing tradition and competitiveness. She is a fan of old stalwarts such as Terry Bradshaw and Franco Harris and would love to watch them in the 1970s if she manages to get her hand on a time machine. She also acknowledges the greatness of modern icons like T.J. Watt for his desire to continuously improve despite being on top. She admires coaches Mike Tomlin and Andy Reid for their longevity and success.

The ace reporter credits her knowledge and love for the sport to be her biggest reporting strengths. Prior fact-checking is a big component of her process and she always scours through additional sources to ensure complete accuracy in her content.

Super Bowl XLIII, when the Steelers won the the grand prize after Santonio Holmes’ epic catch in the end zone with just seconds left on the clock is etched in Bethany’s memory forever. When she is free of her professional commitments, she likes to attend sports events and music concerts.

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