After a major false start, Antonio Brown says he's for sure suiting up for his National Arena League team this month ... guaranteeing he will play for the Albany Empire on June 17.
The Super Bowl champion and new Empire owner confirmed the news in an interview with local Albany station WNYT on Thursday ... saying he will make his big debut at his team's home matchup against the Jacksonville Sharks.
Of course, AB initially said he was going to throw on a helmet and pads when the Empire hosted the Fayetteville Mustangs on May 27 ... but those plans fell through after he claimed his physical paperwork wasn't turned in to the league offices on time.
It was a huge disappointment for the larger-than-usual crowd in attendance ... as the team advertised the game as AB's first return to the field since his bizarre, shirtless exit from the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in January 2022.
HUGE crowd for tonight’s Albany Empire game. A woman at the box office says the game is almost sold out. Partly because AB’s team handed out a lot of vouchers @WNYT pic.twitter.com/vEJhV1kUre
— Tessa Bentulan (@TessaBentulan) May 27, 2023
AB says the game will also be a celebration for Juneteenth ... and he's planning to make it a "party," including a proper halftime show.
He also acknowledged those who may doubt his words given how things played out last month ... but Brown says it's 100% happening this time around.
To get ready for the game, AB says he will practice with the team ... and he's expecting to help turn things around for the 1-5 Empire.