Former NFL player, Antonio Brown, has announced that he will be returning to the league after less than two months of retiring. The announcement was made on Friday through a doctored picture on his Twitter account, showing himself in a Baltimore Ravens uniform. (Fox News, Antonio Brown posts bizarre tweet claiming he will end retirement to play for Ravens).
This follows his retirement announcement in July 2021, which came in the wake of the backlash he received for violating the NFL’s personal conduct policy. Brown, who has had a string of legal issues in the past, was suspended for the first eight games of the 2020 season for violating the league’s personal conduct policy, and has also faced legal trouble over sexual harassment allegations. (Sports Illustrated, Did Antonio Brown Just Announce He’s Joining the Ravens?)
Despite this, Brown has continued to make headlines off the field. In August, he was kicked off an arena football field by security, despite claiming ownership of the field. (Fox News, Antonio Brown ushered off arena football field by security despite ownership: ‘This my field, I’m the owner’). More recently, he has also made headlines for revealing why his friendship with former teammate Tom Brady went sour. (Fox News, Antonio Brown reveals why friendship with Tom Brady went sour).
Brown has played for a number of teams throughout his NFL career, including the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, where he won the Super Bowl in 2021. However, it is unclear at this time which team he will be joining now that he has announced his return. (Sports Illustrated, Former Bucs WR Antonio Brown Announces He’s Returning to NFL With New Team)
Overall, Brown’s announcement has raised questions about his ability to return to the NFL after his retirement announcement, as well as his legal and personal conduct issues. Only time will tell how his return to the league will pan out.
