Raiders, Brown ‘working together’ on helmet issue
Antonio Brown’s agent, Drew Rosenhaus, responded to comments made by Oakland Raiders general manager Mike Mayock suggesting the veteran wide receiver had an ultimatum to be “all-in or all-out” after Brown skipped Sunday’s practice in the latest chapter in his helmet debacle.
“I’ve talked to Mike multiple times (Sunday). We are on the same page, we are working together,” Rosenhaus said Monday morning on ESPN’s Get Up! “We’re trying to iron this out so everything can go smoothly the rest of the season. We’re looking for a permanent solution.
“(Brown) is a wide receiver, he gets hit across the middle, he’s a big target. 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.”
On Monday, Brown rejoined the organization for a team meeting in Napa, California, according to multiple reports. Brown has been upset with the NFL for not allowing him to wear his Schutt AiR Advantage helmet — the only helmet he has worn in his NFL career — because it is older than 10 years and as a result no longer certified. Brown had his grievance against the NFL rejected by an arbitrator Apri 12.
On Sunday, Mayock vented: “You all know that AB is not here today, right? So, here’s the bottom line: He’s upset about the helmet issue. We have supported that, we appreciate that. But at this point, we’ve pretty much exhausted all avenues of relief.”
Despite saying they’re on the same page, Rosenhaus felt all avenues have yet to be exhausted. Brown’s agent told South Florida’s 7 Sports Extra on Sunday that it was still an “ongoing process” and to not “make too much about him not being there (Sunday).”
“I do think he’s gonna be back soon,” Rosenhaus said. “We’re looking into any and all options right now to resolve the helmet issue. Antonio is very genuine. He wants to be there, he wants to be a part of the team. He wants to practice. But he’d also like to do it with the helmet that he’s worn his entire life. He wore this helmet in pee wee football, high school college football at Central Michigan. He also wore this helmet his nine-year career.