Antonio Brown's helmet saga has come to a close.
Despite threatening to retire from the NFL, the Raiders wide receiver announced Wednesday that he will take the field next week and don the Xenith Shadow helmet. According to a statement released on the Xenith website, Brown chose the model for its design and safety features.
"It’s just, I only get one head and one neck," Brown explained. "So I gotta make sure when guys [are] trying to take my head off, I got the right lid to protect [me]."
As previously reported, Brown was in a stalemate with the NFL due to its new helmet specifications. AB felt the Schutt AiR Advantage provided the visibility he needs to make critical plays. Yet the league's upgraded policies required players to participate in helmets that were introduced within the last 10 years. During this struggle, Brown held out of team activities. After filing two failed grievances against the NFL, Brown went on the hunt to find a new helmet that fits his needs.
"NFL athletes have a choice in what helmet they wear. I choose Xenith," Brown said. "It’s not easy to make a change like this so far into your career, but the Xenith Shadow was the only helmet that could fit my needs on the field."
Brown's decision comes just a few weeks after the Raiders and Xenith revealed a partnership that will provide free helmets to a youth football camp in the Las Vegas community—which is where the franchise will call its new home in the near future. Like the Raiders, Brown will also partner with Xenith to create a platform that is "larger than football."
"At Xenith, our entire business is built around designing for the football athlete—having one of the best athletes in the game choose the Xenith Shadow is an absolute honor," the company's CEO, Ryan Sullivan, said. "From the first conversation we had with Antonio and his business partner Connor Kroll, it has been a collaborative effort—from designing for his on-field performance needs and high standards, to the values we share on and off the field, we look forward to many more collaborations with AB."
