Oakland Raiders receiver Antonio Brown has lost his grievance with the NFL over his use of an old helmet that is no longer certified as safe to use.
An arbitrator issued the ruling on Monday after a hearing with Brown, representatives from the league and the players’ union. Brown had reportedly told the Raiders last week that he was willing to quit the league if he could not use his old helmet.
However, on Monday he said he was keen to return to the field. “While I disagree with the arbitrator’s decision, I’m working on getting back to full health and looking forward to rejoining my teammates on the field. I’m excited about this season appreciate all the concerns about my feet!,” he wrote in a post in Instagram.
Brown has not participated in a full practice for the Raiders after starting training camp on the non-football injury list with injuries to his feet that reportedly came from frostbite suffered while getting cryotherapy treatment in France.
Furthermore, NFL Network’s Mike Silver reported tension between Brown and the Raiders, who acquired the wide receiver via trade from the Pittsburgh Steelers in the offseason. According to Silver, Brown has been chronically late, uses Instagram during team meetings and does not communicate with team officials and coaches.
Brown, 31, has been one of the league’s most prolific players. He was an All-Pro four straight years from 2014-17 and is the first player with at least 100 catches and 1,200 yards receiving in six straight seasons. His 686 catches and 9,145 yards since 2013 are the most for any player in a six-year span. But despite that production, he wore out his welcome in Pittsburgh and was acquired by Oakland in March for picks in the third and fifth round of the 2019 draft.