Getty Antonio Brown claims he will return to the NFL with a new team.
Antonio Brown claims he will return to the NFL this year, and he named the team he will join. Brown unofficially retired after a year away from the game after an 11 year career with the Pittsburgh Steelers, New England Patriots and Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
“Excited to return to the NFL this year,” Brown tweeted with a picture of himself in a Baltimore Ravens uniform on Friday, April 28.
Excited to return to the NFL this year
#RavensFlock
The tweet went viral in less than two hours after he posted it, but the Ravens haven’t announced any signing. Baltimore notably took Boston College wide receiver Zay Flowers, a potential target of the Patriots, with the No. 22 pick in the NFL Draft on Thursday, April 27.
Brown’s tweet also came a day after the Ravens announced the re-signing of star quarterback Lamar Jackson to a five-year, $260 million deal. Jackson had been stuck in contract negotiations with the Ravens since 2022, and the team gave him the non-exclusive franchise tag in March. He asked for a trade last month, and rumored landing spots included the Patriots, Bucs, Minnesota Vikings, Indianapolis Colts, Atlanta Falcons, and San Francisco 49ers among others.
Brown notably worked out with Jackson in early April 2021 amid an uncertain offseason for Brown. He just helped the Bucs win the Super Bowl for the 2020 season, but the team didn’t re-sign him until late April 27 before the draft.
Brown previously showed interest in playing with Jackson, and Jackson likewise expressed interest in Brown joining the team. Brown’s cousin, Marquise “Hollywood” Brown notably played for the team at the time.
Instead, Antonio Brown spent his final two years with the Bucs instead. It didn’t end well in Tampa Bay as Brown stormed off the field during a January 2022 game against the New York Jets.
Brown Hasn’t Played Since Jets Incident
No team signed Brown after the incident as he missed the 2022 season. Off-field issues had been a growing problem for Brown for years, which began during his time in Pittsburgh.
The Steelers traded Brown to the then-Oakland Raiders in 2019, but he never played for the team. The Raiders released him, and he caught on with the Patriots and quarterback Tom Brady during the 2019 season.
Patriots head coach and general manager Bill Belichick only kept Brown one game, and the team released him due to off-field misconduct. Brown then served an eight-game suspension in 2020 before he joined the Bucs in October of that year.
Brown’s final stop came about since Brady left the Patriots for Tampa Bay in March 2020, and the quarterback recruited Brown. The Bucs benefitted from Brown amid 45 receptions for 483 yards and four touchdowns in eight games during the Super Bowl run.
Brown Built a Hall of Fame Career Before Off-Field Trouble Curtailed It
Overall, Brown put together a Hall of Fame career on the field before off-field incidents overshadowed his play. Brown made seven Pro Bowls and four All-Pro teams during his time with the Steelers. He caught 928 passes for 12,291 yards and 83 touchdowns in his career.
After his abrupt exit from the Bucs, Brown entered the rap industry, and he took on a part ownership role of an arena football team in Albany, New York.