Oakland Raiders wide receiver Antonio Brown showed up to work Monday as his search for a suitable helmet continues.
Aug 15, 2019; Glendale, AZ, USA; Oakland Raiders wide receiver Antonio Brown (84) stretches next to his helmet against the Arizona Cardinals during a preseason game at State Farm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
Multiple outlets reported that Brown attended team meetings, although a walk-through practice was apparently canceled.
His attendance came the day after Raiders general manager Mike Mayock said it was time for the All-Pro wideout “to be all-in or all-out.”
Brown has had only one full-speed practice this preseason, in part because he was recovering from foot blisters caused by a cryotherapy mishap and lately because of his helmet issue.
His old helmet is no longer approved for NFL use because it is more than 10 years old, and when Brown used social media to find a newer version of his favored model — the Schutt AiR Advantage — it failed NFL testing.
Brown’s agent, Drew Rosenhaus, told ESPN’s Get Up! on Monday that his client “wants to be part of the team, he wants to practice, but he’d also like to do it with the helmet he’s worn his entire life.”
“He’s a wide receiver. He gets hit across the middle. People are trying to take his head off,” Rosenhaus said. “He’s a big target. You talk about how many catches he’s had over the last six years, for example, this is his life. He’s risking everything. He’s got a family. He’s had a concussion before. This helmet has kept him safe. He’s had brutal hits.
“We’re just trying to find a way to work it out. We’ve worked very closely with the Raiders, we’ve worked very closely with the NFL, but I hope people can appreciate, this is not a simple issue. The helmet is the most important piece of equipment and he’s had the same one every single snap he’s played in his football career. This is a major issue for him.”
The Raiders acquired the seven-time Pro Bowl selection from the Pittsburgh Steelers in a trade in March and later signed him to a three-year, $50.125 million contract.
Brown, 31, caught at least 100 passes and exceeded 1,200 receiving yards in each of the past six seasons with the Steelers. He has appeared in 130 games with Pittsburgh from 2010-18, catching 837 passes for 11,207 yards and 74 touchdowns.
—Field Level Media