diff --git a/packages/eslint-plugin/src/rules/no-unsafe-return.ts b/packages/eslint-plugin/src/rules/no-unsafe-return.ts
index e5fb73a3ac9..3334c9f3c32 100644
--- a/packages/eslint-plugin/src/rules/no-unsafe-return.ts
+++ b/packages/eslint-plugin/src/rules/no-unsafe-return.ts
@@ -104,7 +104,13 @@ export default createRule({
       // function return type, we shouldn't complain (it's intentional, even if unsafe)
       if (functionTSNode.type) {
         for (const signature of functionType.getCallSignatures()) {
-          if (returnNodeType === signature.getReturnType()) {
+          if (
+            returnNodeType === signature.getReturnType() ||
+            util.isTypeFlagSet(
+              signature.getReturnType(),
+              ts.TypeFlags.Any | ts.TypeFlags.Unknown,
+            )
+          ) {
             return;
           }
         }
diff --git a/packages/eslint-plugin/tests/rules/no-unsafe-return.test.ts b/packages/eslint-plugin/tests/rules/no-unsafe-return.test.ts
index b75cdfb28c0..42a798ffe11 100644
--- a/packages/eslint-plugin/tests/rules/no-unsafe-return.test.ts
+++ b/packages/eslint-plugin/tests/rules/no-unsafe-return.test.ts
@@ -108,6 +108,17 @@ function foo(): Set<number> {
         return new Map();
       }
     `,
+    // https://github.com/typescript-eslint/typescript-eslint/issues/3549
+    `
+      function foo(): any {
+        return [] as any[];
+      }
+    `,
+    `
+      function foo(): unknown {
+        return [] as any[];
+      }
+    `,
   ],
   invalid: [
     {