Report: Antonio Brown's Second Helmet Grievance Hearing Against NFL Set for Friday

Brown is arguing that he should be afforded the same right provided to other NFL players to have a one-year grace period to phase out his helmet.

The hearing for Raiders wide receiver Antonio Brown's second helmet grievance against the NFL has been set for Friday, NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reported on Tuesday.

According to Rapoport, an arbitrator will listen to the case by the end of the week which sets up for a timely resolution to the ongoing helmet dispute that has plagued Brown's offseason.

New NFL rules being enforced this season require players to wear helmets that are certified by the National Operating Committee for Standards and Athletic Equipment (NOCSAE). Players who fail to wear approved helmets will be disciplined, per the league.

The old helmet that Brown wore during his career with the Steelers is no longer certified by NOCSAE and therefore fails to meet the standards of the NFL's policy. Brown filed his first helmet grievance with the NFL on August 9 but lost.

Brown filed the second grievance on Monday arguing that he should be afforded the same right provided to other NFL players to have a one-year grace period to phase out his helmet during the 2019 season and that the NFL is arbitrarily applying rules. He rejoined the Raiders at training camp on Tuesday with a certified helmet.

Brown was traded to the Raiders on March 13 after a tumultuous 2018 season with the Steelers. He has caught 100-plus passes in each of the past six seasons and was a four-time All-Pro with the Steelers.

The Raiders finished last year at 4–12 and fourth in the AFC West.