The Schutt AiR Advantage helmet has gotten plenty of free publicity this week. Too bad they quit making it eight years ago.
Agent Drew Rosenhaus tells PFT that Raiders receiver Antonio Brown has located “a few” Schutt AiR Advantage helmets made in 2010. Those helmets will be reconditioned and submitted for approval by the NOCSAE. Because the NOCSAE will not certify helmets that are more than 10 years old, Brown will get at least one year of use -- and possibly two -- out of helmets made in 2010.
Rosenhaus said that Brown is still searching for helmets made in 2011, the year the Schutt AiR Advantage was discontinued.
As explained earlier today, the AiR Advantage was discontinued in 2009, but it’s possible that “maybe a couple thousand” additional helmets were made after 2009 for certain specific college and professional teams. As of 2011, Schutt stopped making the helmet.
The NFL has not affirmatively banned the Schutt AiR Advantage, possibly due to the fact that it was discontinued. That loophole has provided an unlikely ending to an unlikely story, giving Brown a chance to wear his helmet of choice for at least one season with the Raiders, and possibly up to two more.
