Antonio Brown reportedly loses second grievance over helmet
The second grievance Antonio Brown filed against the NFL over his helmet had the same result as the first.
Brown has once again lost his grievance and will not be able to wear the same helmet he has worn since he rookie season, Ian Rapoport of NFL Media reports.
Source: #Raiders WR Antonio Brown has lost his grievance for his helmet. Again.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) August 25, 2019
Rapoport added that no further proceedings are expected, which should mean Brown has exhausted all options.
The outcome was expected, as the case has seemed fairly straightforward from the start. Brown’s helmet does not meet the proper safety criteria and is no longer certified by the NFL, and he has been trying to argue that he should have been given a grace period to continue wearing the old helmet. That was never going to happen.
Brown supposedly had documentation that he was told he would be able to wear a newer version of the same helmet, but that is not the case. He submitted a newer version of the helmet that still failed league-mandated testing, so it’s unclear where he plans to turn from here.
If you believe what Raiders coach Jon gruden said earlier in the week, Brown may finally be willing to give up the fight over his headgear. We will believe that when we see it, however.