Oakland Raiders wide receiver Antonio Brown has been unable to practice during training camp outside of one session, and now the team has a reason why.
With a trip to the foot specialist on tap, Brown revealed on his Instagram stories why he has been unable to practice with an off-putting photograph. Apparently, the skin on the soles of his feet is falling off. He is also dealing with some serious blisters.
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.@AB84‘s feet 😬 pic.twitter.com/10nEVqYup8
— B/R Gridiron (@brgridiron) August 4, 2019
Last week, chatter began generating about Brown’s lack of participation during practice. Considering his work ethic, it was very surprising that he was inactive, and the concern grew when it was revealed that he would be visiting a foot specialist. Head coach Jon Gruden even expressed his disappointment with Brown’s attendance record.
“I think we’re all disappointed,” Gruden said, according to ESPN. “We think he’s disappointed. We’d like to get the party started. We’d like to get him out here. He’s a big part of the team.
“But for the time being we’re going to continue to work hard and we’re seeing the development of some other receivers we’re excited about.”
According to a former NFL team doctor named David J. Chao, too much moisture played a role in this foot issue, which likely led to a superimposed infection. He provided further thoughts on the matter for the San Diego Union-Tribune.
“Chronic hyperhydrosis, a condition that causes hands or feet to sweat excessively, could be in play here. But Brown is an NFL veteran and has trained and very successfully played, thus it seems unusual to develop such a condition to this extent for the first time.”
As Chao explained, Brown is likely already on oral antibiotics and surface treatments, as well as chemical soaks. The Raiders hope that this will take care of the issue and get him back on the field, but only time will tell.
With the Raiders needing to bounce back quickly from a rough 4-12 season, getting Brown back to full health is a top priority. The team awarded him with a new three-year, $50 million contract after landing him via a trade with the Pittsburgh Steelers.
The hope at the time of the contract extension was that Brown would step into the starting role and immediately become the top option for quarterback Derek Carr. The passing attack was viewed as one of the worst in the league after Carr only threw 19 touchdown passes, and Brown was supposed to add another level of playmaking ability.
Ultimately, he could be the first Raiders wide receiver since 2002 to top 1,200 receiving yards in a season, but this could be delayed if the foot issue gets worse. The Silver and Black will have to hope that the foot specialist quickly gets Brown on the best path to recovery.
