Agent Drew Rosenhaus said wide receiver Antonio Brown will rejoin the Oakland Raiders soon.
“I do think he’s going to be back soon,” Rosenhaus said on ESPN’s Get Up! program. “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 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.”
The agent’s remarks came one day after Raiders general manager Mike Mayock said it was time for the All-Pro wideout “to be all-in or all-out.”
Brown was a full participant in the team’s walkthrough on Saturday, but he has had only one full-speed practice, in part because he was recovering from foot blisters caused by a cryotherapy mishap and lately because of the 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.
“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.
