Antonio Brown exited the Oakland Raiders' walk-through practice on Tuesday when it was time for he and his teammates to strap up their helmets. His departure came in the wake of the six-time Pro-Bowler filing a second grievance with the NFL over his adherence to wearing a helmet that had since been discontinued and ruled unsafe by the league office.
Brown's frostbitten feet, thankfully, are no longer an issue. But would this ongoing helmet saga prevent him from ever taking the field for the silver-and-black when it really matters? With every passing day Brown misses practice as a result of his helmet preference, that question became fairer and fairer to ask.
Fortunately, he returned to practice shortly thereafter, wearing a helmet approved by the league. Coach Jon Gruden, increasingly loathe to discuss Brown's uncertain yet changing status over the past couple of weeks, subsequently went so far as to tell reporters that Oakland's superstar receiver is “ready to go” and “all in.”
Article Continues BelowOnly time will tell if that optimism proves accurate. Either way, in the latest edition of Hard Knocks to air on Tuesday night, Brown appears fed up with the hoopla and negativity surrounding his feet and helmet-related absence, telling the camera he's been “feeling like enemy of the f****** state.”
In March, Oakland traded third and fifth-round draft picks to the Pittsburgh Steelers in exchange for Brown. Despite frequent clashes with quarterback Ben Roethlisberger and coach Mike Tomlin, Brown had another dominant season in 2018, finishing with 104 catches for 1,297 yards and a league-high 15 touchdowns.