Antonio Brown’s helmet case is getting a new dimension. After this morning’s interview in which the player’s agent revealed several things, we might see why AB didn’t want to let go of his old piece of equipment.
According to Drew Rosenhaus, AB’s representative and agent, the No.84 has certain concerns about safety while playing with new helmets. Also, Rosenhaus stated that the player is dedicated to the team and that he wants to be a part of the Oakland Raiders who will attack the Super Bowl ring.
Those comments came after Raiders general manager Mike Mayock said that Brown needs to decide whether he wants or not to play football. Rosenhaus wanted to confirm that his player is on the same side as the team and that he only has legitimate concerns.
“I called Mike late last night and said, ‘Let’s get every available helmet that’s approved and get every one of them out. Let’s find a solution.’ We are working with the team to get this done.”
Rosenhaus explained that Brown appeared with that same helmet throughout his entire career and that he never had a single problem with it.
“He wore this helmet in Pee Wee football, high school football, college at Central Michigan and his entire nine-year career,” the agent said.
He also commented on the fact that there are more than two thousand players with new and tested helmets. Rosenhaus thinks that just a couple of them had a chance to wear the same helmet since they came into the league.
Then he turned to safety issues. Brown believes only in his old helmet, as he knows how it behaves under various circumstances. It is the only thing which makes him safe while playing football. Meanwhile, football is his source of income, and he is aware of that. Because of that he wants to find a way out of this mess.
“He’s risking everything. He’s got a family. He’s had a concussion before. This helmet has kept him safe.”
The player and the agent are working closely with the league, the players association and with the team in order to find a solution which might settle each side. They even turned to helmet-making companies, hoping that they might come out with some custom made piece which would satisfy the wide receiver.
Up until now, Brown tried 15 different types, but none of them were suitable enough for him. Eventually, those companies might deliver custom made one which would later be tested by the league.
What interested the fans the most was Brown’s status for the first game of the season against the Denver Broncos. The agent revealed that there are no reasons why AB wouldn’t appear in the season opener and lead his team.
His frostbite injuries are slowly going away as he told the other day, but it seems that Brown won’t appear in any of the preseason tests.
