Antonio Brown is threatening to never play football again, apparently telling the Oakland Raiders on Friday he is done unless the NFL loosens its rule and allows him to wear his old helmet, ESPN reported.
Brown spent two hours on a call with league officials trying to convince them to let him wear a 10-year-old helmet that the NFL has since banned because it doesn't meet the league's new safety standards, sources told ESPN.
The team told the San Jose (Calif.) Mercury News, "The Raiders are aware of and are supportive of Antonio, but have no other comment." Oakland coach Jon Gruden declined to comment.
Brown signed a three-year, $50.125 million deal after joining the team from the Steelers, with a little more than $30 million of it guaranteed. Would Brown, who says money is important to him, really walk away from $30 million because of his helmet preference?
Brown's Schutt Air Advantage helmet is not allowed to be worn because of a league policy that players must wear helmets that are NOCSAE certified, a person in the league said on condition of anonymity because the commissioner's office was not talking publicly about the issue. NOCSAE won't recertify his helmet because it is more than 10 years old.
The mercurial receiver has been absent from training camp in Napa, Calif., because of blistered feet suffered in a cryogenic machine mishap, but he is now so chapped about having to wear a new helmet that he filed a grievance against the NFL.
Kaep wants back in
Colin Kaepernick is eager to prove he's good enough to play in the NFL.
A person close to Kaepernick told the Associated Press: "Colin has always been prepared to compete at the highest level and is in the best shape of his life."
