Antonio Brown is expected to report to the Oakland Raiders facility on Tuesday, August 13. There were questions about when the wide receiver would be back with the team after suffering frostbite on his feet due to an incident during cryotherapy and the highly-reported helmet saga.
There were previous reports that Brown had threatened retirement if he was not allowed to wear his preferred helmet, the Schutt AiR Advantage, but now that is all a thing of the past.
In fact, Brown may have found a loophole that will allow him to wear his preferred old helmet model.
From Pro Football Talk:
PFT has confirmed with a source close to the situation that the NFL, the Raiders and Brown’s representatives have been in contact, and that the NFL has approved Brown wearing the helmet model he wants — the Schutt AiR Advantage — if he finds a helmet that fits him and is less than 10 years old.
Schutt stopped making the AiR Advantage in 2011, and Brown’s helmet is more than 10 years old. But there are AiR Advantage helmets out there that are eight or nine years old, and if Brown can find one that fits him properly and is in good condition, the league will let him wear it, the source said.
Whether Brown is able to find a helmet in good condition remains to be seen.
As for his future in Oakland, Brown addressed his grievance with the league while showing some enthusiasm about getting back on the field with his new teammates.
“While I disagree with the arbitrator’s decision, I’m working on getting back to full health and looking forward to rejoining my teammates on the field,” Brown wrote on Instagram. “I’m excited about this season; appreciate all the concerns about my feet!”
https://www.instagram.com/p/B1E-vXEhDYp/?utm_source=ig_embed
Oakland opens up its 2019-20 campaign on September 9 in a Monday Night Football matchup against the division rival Denver Broncos.
