Antonio Brown spent nearly the entire off-season fighting for the right to wear the helmet of his choice. Now, it appears he may not need a helmet after all.
Or, at least he may not need a Raiders helmet.
According to NFL reporter Ian Rapoport, Raiders wide receiver Antonio Brown got into an altercation with General Manager Mike Mayock in which no punches were thrown, but the threat of a punch was made.
The argument was apparently over Brown’s decision to post a disciplinary letter from Mayock on his Instagram account. The discipline, was a total of $54,000 in fines after Brown missed a walk through and practice while he was immersed in a dispute over his helmet.
However, as Rapoport explains, an argument over posting a letter announcing $54,000 in fines, may result in Brown losing far more. If he loses his $30 million in guaranteed money with Oakland, then Brown’s time in Oakland will be done.
Later in the day, at a press conference, Mayock offered this in regard to the Antonio Brown situation.
Also interesting, is where Jon Gruden will come down in this argument: Will he back his GM? Or will he back his star player?
Mayock had a very successful media career prior to joining Oakland. So, he could spare Gruden the decision and elect to resume his highly paid and low stress role as a draft analyst for NFL Network. Or, he could make Gruden make a choice.
Follow Dylan Gwinn on Twitter @themightygwinn