The Antonio Brown “helmetgate” saga continued Tuesday.
The Raiders wide receiver, who reportedly filed a second grievance with the NFL, was at Oakland’s practice — wearing a certified helmet.
To recap: Brown wants to wear the helmet he’s worn the entirety of his career, but isn’t allowed under NFL rules due to the lack of safety to protect a player’s head. The 31-year-old threatened to retire if he couldn’t wear it and the league upheld his first grievance. Brown didn’t retire, though, and asked for help on Twitter to find a Schutt Air Advantage that was made after 2010.
Raiders general manager Mike Mayock seemed to have had enough with Brown’s antics and called out his wide receiver by saying he needs to know who’s “all in” with the team.
Well, Brown showed up Tuesday to practice with his squad wearing a league-approved helmet.
“It’s a certified helmet, so he’s all in and ready to go. That’s my understanding,” head coach Jon Gruden said, per PRo Football Talk’s Josh Alper. “I’m happy to have him out here. He’s a great player.”
Gruden noted he didn’t know exactly what type of helmet Brown wore, but ESPN’s Ian Rapoport reported it was a Schutt Vengeance Z10 LTD.
#Raiders WR Antonio Brown wore a Schutt Vengeance Z10 LTD helmet today in practice, per source. It is among the 34 helmets approved for use after the NFL-NFLPA laboratory tests were conducted early this year and sent to players in April. It’s in the green grouping of helmets.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) August 20, 2019
Brown posted what could be interpreted as him accepting he won’t be able to wear the helmet he has over the course of his career.
Always turn a negative to a positive #Boomin
— AB (@AB84) August 20, 2019
But who knows? Maybe he is accepting the Schutt Vengeance Z10 LTD what will protect his head for the rest of his career.
