Antonio Brown may stop over his helmet? Allow us to clarify
Kevin SeifertNFL Nation
CloseESPN.com nationwide NFL author
ESPN.com NFC North reporter, 2008-2013
Coated Vikings for Minneapolis Star Tribune, 1999-2008
Oakland Raiders receiver Antonio Brown is threatening to depart soccer endlessly, stories ESPN’s Adam Schefter, as a result of his helmet of alternative is prohibited to be used within the NFL.
Sure, that is an actual sentence about an actual factor that is occurring proper now. Let’s dive in.
This cannot be actual.
Oh, however it’s. Brown participated in a two-hour convention name on Friday, Schefter reported, as half a grievance that he hopes will present an exception to put on his outdated helmet. That mannequin is a Schutt Air Benefit, in accordance with a league supply, and it was discontinued by the producer earlier this decade.
2 Associated
Why will not the NFL permit him to put on it?
The NFL has a longstanding coverage that requires all gamers to put on helmets which have been licensed by the Nationwide Working Committee on Requirements for Athletic Tools (NOCSAE). And NOCSAE will not certify the helmet as a result of it’s greater than 10 years outdated, in accordance with the league supply. Like all merchandise and know-how, helmets are ceaselessly up to date over time. Each participant is made conscious of the coverage, so Brown shouldn’t have been stunned that it might be disallowed in 2019.
What’s he purported to put on as a substitute?
In April, the NFL and NFL Gamers Affiliation launched an up to date analysis of 40 helmet fashions, 34 of that are authorized to be used in 2019. Half of the authorized fashions are manufactured by Schutt. The Air Benefit is just not amongst these listed.
The Raiders have been sending Antonio Brown different authorized helmets to put on however, right now, he isn’t desirous about sporting any of them, in accordance with sources. Photograph by Kirby Lee/USA TODAY Sports activities
Who cares? Helmets are helmets, proper?
Many gamers are connected to specific helmet fashions. Some really feel they’ve been well-protected and do not wish to strive one thing completely different. Others make choices based mostly on aesthetics. And a few strive new fashions and may’t get used to them. In accordance with Schefter, Brown believes that his greatest various protrudes and interferes together with his imaginative and prescient.
However to by no means play once more due to it?
Sure, that is an excessive response — even for a participant of Brown’s historical past. There is not any sense attempting to elucidate that one.
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What would occur if he wears the outdated one anyway?
In April, the NFL introduced a associated however separate coverage that banned sure helmets that carried out poorly in laboratory testing. The onus was placed on groups to make sure that no participant had entry to or wore a banned helmet. If a workforce was discovered to have recognized a few participant sporting a banned helmet, or to have facilitated the usage of one, it might be topic to league self-discipline, an NFL government mentioned on the time.
Is that why Tom Brady modified helmets this season?
Sure. Brady was in a position to put on his outdated helmet for one additional season in 2018, as a part of a grandfathered NFL coverage, however he has moved to an authorized mannequin for this season.
Does that apply to Brown’s case?
It seems to, and helps clarify the Raiders’ insistence that he put on an authorized helmet.
League sources informed ESPN that Antonio Brown had a two-hour convention name with league officers on Friday in an try and argue why he needs to be allowed to put on his 10-year-old helmet. Photograph by Kirby Lee/USA TODAY Sports activities
Would Brown be disciplined?
Not by the NFL, it does not seem. However the Raiders may handle it by means of workforce self-discipline in the event that they selected.
Does Brown have any probability of profitable the grievance?
It is troublesome to see how, so long as the NFL coverage is to permit solely NOCSAE-approved helmets and NOCSAE will not certify Brown’s helmet. Permitting a participant to make use of an uncertified helmet, one which presumably protects him much less successfully than extra up to date fashions, would strike towards the NFL’s resolution to make helmet alternative a main tenet of its well being and security platform.
What would occur if Brown truly retired?
From a monetary standpoint, Brown would stroll away from a minimum of $30.125 million that’s absolutely assured in his contract for the subsequent two seasons. The Raiders would soak up about the identical in a lifeless cash cost. But it surely’s attainable the Raiders may merely place him on a reserve checklist that may absolve them from having to pay out his contract, whereas sustaining his $14.9 million cap cost for 2019.