Le'Veon Bell doesn't agree with how former teammate Antonio Brown handled his helmet issue in Oakland.
"I understand where he's coming from, but at the same time, it's a rule, so you have to change the helmet," Bell said in an interview with Newsday.
Bell is familiar with Brown's antics as the two played together with the Steelers for six seasons before Bell infamously sat out all of last season in hopes of getting a new deal and was later traded to the Jets. Brown, on the other hand, requested to be traded and was sent to the Raiders in the offseason.
Brown missed the start of the Raiders' training camp as a result of an ongoing dispute with the NFL over his helmet. Brown wanted to wear his old helmet, which is no longer on the NFL's approved list, and reportedly threatened to quit if he couldn't.
He has since participated in practice wearing a certified helmet. Brown filed a second grievance against the league earlier this week, and the NFL is expected to rule on the issue by Friday.
"Him fighting for it, him not showing up for practice," Bell said, "I don't really agree with that."
Bell, however, did give Brown some credit for how hard it is to change your helmet as a skill player.
"I changed my helmet my second year [with the Steelers], and I've been playing with a certain helmet my whole career," Bell said. "It was hard to do, but I knew this was coming eventually, so I might as well change my helmet now."
Raiders coach Jon Gruden said earlier this week that Brown is "all in and ready to go."
The Raiders have two preseason games remaining before they host the Broncos in Week 1 action Sept. 9.