NFL Spokesman Responds to Antonio Brown Helmet Drama

With one of the best wide receivers in the game threatening to walk way from a massive contract due a dispute over sporting equipment, the NFL finally stepped in to reaffirm how silly Antonio Brown sounds right now.

The brand-new Oakland Raiders wide receiver is threatening to retire if he isn't allowed to wear his old helmet -- recently reported to be the Riddell VSR4 -- which has since been made illegal due to the helmet's insufficient ability to prevent head injuries. A spokesman for the NFL has now reaffirmed the league's stance on Brown's quarrels, claiming that a player can void his salary if he plays in unapproved equipment.

The player can’t practice or play in games with equipment that’s not approved. If he doesn’t play or practice he is in breach of his contract and doesn’t get paid. Nfl policy is that Helmets have to be certified by NOSCAE. They don’t certify equipment that’s old than 10 years.
— Brian McCarthy (@NFLprguy) August 12, 2019

It's a fool's errand to attempt to assign logic to Brown's decisions here, but he apparently seems content to walk away from over $30 million in guaranteed money because...he wants to wear an unsafe helmet?

Yes, that's what it sounds like.

Brown is even reportedly considering suing the league if he suffers a head injury in the new (that is, league-approved) helmet. In so many ways, "erratic" doesn't even begin to describe his behavior over the last year.

There is insanity, and there is Antonio Brown fighting against a safer helmet. https://t.co/Urua2kWECZ
— Peter King (@peter_king) August 11, 2019

We knew Brown was a diva when he was traded out of Pittsburgh, but this story reads more like an Onion headline than anything else.