Oakland Raiders wide receiver Antonio Brown is continuing his fight against the NFL over his helmet. The league refused to allow Brown to wear his Schutt AiR Advantage helmet because they deemed it unsafe. Schutt stopped manufacturing the helmet in 2009, and the National Operating Committee for Standards and Athletic Equipment refuses to certify equipment that was made more than ten years ago.
Brown says he was able to find a model of the helmet that was made less than ten years ago, but the NFL refused to budge and would not to allow him to wear it. He argues that since the league did not explicitly ban the Schutt AiR Advantage, he should be allowed to wear a newer model of the helmet or be given a one-year grace period to find a suitable replacement. He pointed out that Patriots quarterback Tom Brady was given an extension for his helmet, which he wore during his team's Super Bowl victory.
Brown threatened to retire after he was told he could not wear his helmet. He has since walked back that threat but has still refused to participate in practices with the Raiders fully.
Raiders General Manager Mike Mayock issued somewhat of an ultimatum to Brown, telling the media he hopes the embattled wide receiver will be ready to go by Week 1.
"At this point, we've pretty much exhausted all avenues of relief," Mayock said Sunday(August 18). "So, from our perspective, it's time for him to be all in or all out … We've got 89 guys busting their tails. We are really excited about where this franchise is going. And we hope AB's going to be a big part of it starting Week 1 against Denver."
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