The Oakland Raiders’ acquisition of wide receiver Antonio Brown is quickly turning into a nightmare for the franchise.
Brown is so upset by the fact that the NFL will no longer approve the helmet he’s worn throughout his career that he has filed a grievance against the league. That’s not all, though; according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, Brown is outright refusing to play football unless he’s permitted to wear his old helmet, despite the Raiders’ best efforts to find him a new one that passes safety standards.
And now this: Raiders’ WR Antonio Brown has told team officials that, unless he gets to wear his old helmet, he will not play football again, per league sources.
And more….
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) August 9, 2019
Antonio Brown believes the new helmet that the rules mandate he wears protrudes out and interferes with his vision as he tries to catch football. The Raiders have been sending Brown other approved helmets to try out but, at this time, he is not interested in wearing any of them.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) August 9, 2019
Empty threat or serious? It’s hard to tell, but given the fact that Brown’s conduct has been far from exemplary since joining the Raiders, there may be something to it. It’s also a problem that doesn’t really have an easy solution.
It remains to be seen how this plays out, but one thing is clear: it’s pretty obvious why the Pittsburgh Steelers were so happy to put this drama behind them.
