Raiders’ Brown to play after all

Loses grievance in flap over helmet no longer approved by league

Raiders wide receiver Antonio Brown lost his grievance against the NFL. Brown had asked to be allowed to wear a helmet not approved by the league.

The arbitrator ruled in the NFL’s favor Monday after conducting a hearing Friday. Barring an appeal to federal court, Brown must wear an approved helmet or remain on the sideline.

Brown suggested in a social media post that he intends to rejoin the Raiders. He reportedly had previously told the team that he would not play football again if not allowed to wear his preferred helmet.

“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,” he wrote on Instagram. “I’m excited about this season (and) appreciate all the concerns about my feet!”

Brown had been seeking to wear a helmet model that was discontinued by the manufacturer and wasn’t certified by the national governing body, because it was more than 10 years old, according to a person familiar with the case. Brown was one of 32 NFL players who wore non-approved helmets last season and were told they would not be able to wear them this year.

Brown hasn’t been practicing recently because of injuries to his feet reportedly caused or worsened when he wore improper footwear during a cryotherapy treatment.

The Raiders obtained the seven-time Pro Bowl selection in a trade with the Steelers in March.

RBs seek own union: A petition reportedly was filed Thursday with the National Labor Relations Board seeking to create a separate union for NFL running backs.

The petition was filed by the International Brotherhood of Professional Running Backs and focuses on the shorter careers for players at the position.

“These employees have unique career structures; and the current one-size fits all unit is inappropriate,” the petition says of players’ representation by the NFL Players Association.

The average pro career for a running back is 2.57 years, by far the shortest of any position. Their average salary through the 2018 season was $1.291 million, which ranked below every position but long snapper. Fullback was at $995,145, but there are few fullbacks in the NFL.

Scary injury: Browns defensive end Chad Thomas sustained a sprained neck but avoided a more serious injury during a scary moment at training camp.

Thomas was immobilized on the field and taken by ambulance to University Hospitals.

The second-year player was back at the Browns facility Monday evening. His return to practice will be evaluated on a day-to-day basis.

Extra points: The Jaguars removed starting LT Cam Robinson from the physically unable to perform list, and he went through individual drills for the first time in nearly a year. Robinson suffered a seasonending knee injury last year in Week 2. ... WR Rishard Matthews, 29, announced his retirement two days after he was released by the Saints with a “left team” designation.