Antonio Brown is now a part owner of the Albany Empire, but is he retired from the NFL?
Former NFL receiver Antonio Brown has been out of the league since his now infamous walk-out against the New York Jets. With no team seemingly wanting to sign the free agent, he has made the move into ownership.
Yesterday, the Albany Empire announced that Brown was going to be part of the team's ownership group, in a move that some reports have stated ends Brown's playing career.
According to The Mirror, Brown spoke to TMZ Sports about how he will be a "hands-on" owner, which essentially brings an end to his indifferent playing career.
Having played for the Pittsburgh Steelers, the New England Patriots and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (didn't play a game for Las Vegas), Brown was on the outer after his Jets walk-out and now it appears that he is out of the league forever.
Did Antonio Brown announce retirement from NFL?
While we haven't heard directly from the receiver, there has been some movement on just how official his retirement could be, and it turns out, he's done with football.
This was confirmed by the Twitter account MLFootball, an independent reporter approved by the NFLPA as they stated that the receiver spoke with them and that he is officially retiring from the NFL.
BREAKING: 7x Pro Bowl and 4x All-Pro wide receiver Antonio Brown tells @_MLFootball he is retiring for good from playing the game of football.
The future Hall of Famer gave me a one-word statement: “Legacy.” https://t.co/EnNREWeDyB
So at just 34 years old and being out of the league since 2022, it was always going to be hard for Brown to get his way back into professional football. He was a star player in the league before several off-field issues plagued him for years.
Now, as part owner of the Albany Empire, he can still get that football fix even if he isn't playing.
How did Antonio Brown end up becoming Albany Empire's part owner
The pathway to becoming an owner of a football team can be a long one, but in the receiver's case, we imagine that the family ties to the Albany Empire led him to the decision to become a part owner.
The 34-year-old's father, Eddie Brown, who is famously known as "Touchdown Eddie," was a player for the Empire between 1994 and 2003, so we imagine that this had something to do with the receiver becoming a part owner.
Albany NY was Always A Special Place For me And my FAMILY https://t.co/FzWoQ7KbgB
Now embarking on a different footballing journey, it is hoped that this will keep the receiver on the straight and narrow. Seeing as Antonio Brown has stated he will be hands on can only mean good things will happen for the Albany Empire.