Well, this certainly didn’t take long.
Before even taking a meaningful snap with the Oakland Raiders, Antonio Brown is proving to be quite the headache.
First, the star wide receiver reportedly suffered frostbite on his feet after not wearing proper footwear in a cryotherapy machine. Then, Brown reportedly went “radio silent” on the Raiders, who have no timetable for his return from injury.
Now, it appears that, on top of his injury, Brown’s absence is tied to his insistence that he be allowed to wear the same helmet he’s been wearing for the last 10 seasons, even though it no longer is certified by the NFL.
Apparently, this is a very, very big deal for Brown — to the point where the 31-year-old has threatened retirement, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, telling team officials he will not play football again if he cannot wear the old helmet.
According to Schefter, Brown had a two-hour conference call with league officials on Friday in an attempt to argue why he should be allowed to wear his old helmet.
“The Raiders have been sending Brown other approved helmets to wear but, at this time, he is not interested in wearing any of them,” Schefter wrote in a tweet.
Looks like Raider Nation is in for one wild year.
