Brown was at training camp today.
I think a timeline is required here.
Last year, the NFL banned specific helmet models previously worn by players like Patriots quarterback Tom Brady and Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers. Even though those helmets had been determined to be unfit for further use by NFL players, the NFL gave them a full football season to process that decision, to explore alternatives (as Brady did, regularly embracing a new helmet before reverting to the old one, several times over), and to eventually pick a new helmet after the one-year grace period expired. Brown, whose helmet model of choice wasn’t prohibited by the league until late last week, isn’t getting that same courtesy.
https://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2019/08/19/drew-rosenhaus-were-still-trying-to-come-up-with-a-helmet-solution-for-antonio-brown/So, as the bolded says, we have a double standard straight away. Changing a helmet is nowhere near as simple as it sounds. Brady couldn't find a new helmet he liked for a whole year and kept wearing his old hat.
- Brown has hurt foot. His agent was talking about legal action against the place this happened at.
- Brown practices with hurt foot, shows foot to reporter after practice. Raiders beat reporters talk about him having a pretty fucked up foot and were surprised he took the practice field.
- Brown misses next practice. I believe he is also not allowed to use his old helmet at this point.
- Brown leaves camp to get treatment on foot. Training camp is in Napa and it is not a place I would expect someone to get treatment for burned feet.
- Story about Brown's helmet comes out when he couldn't practice anyway.
- Media talks about him potentially retiring.
- NFL tells him he can wear that helmet model as long as he has a newer one.
- Brown finds newer model from 2014.
- Brown flies with the team to Arizona and takes some reps on the field before the game.
- Brown practices.
- Story breaks in the middle of practice that Brown cannot wear that helmet model at all even though the rules said he could.
- Brown stops practicing. Mayock makes comment about the Raiders wanting him all in or all out. You can't practice without a helmet, and he has an injured foot, so I don't really see what the problem is there.
- Brown shows up at training camp today. His teammates suggest on the same day that this story is media driven. There was no practice today.
At no point has Antonio Brown ever said that he would retire. It was unlikely he would play in the preseason at all, but with a messed up foot it's even more unlikely.
