Raiders’ Brown in flap over wearing outdated helmet
Antonio Brown may or may not be healthy enough to play, but he's definitely refusing to do so because he can't use his preferred helmet. Adam Schefter reported Friday that “unless he can wear his old helmet, he will not play football again.” The NFL told 32 players, including Brown and Tom Brady, that they were no longer to wear their models of helmets because they didn't meet testing standards.
Mike Silver of NFL.com filled in the details from there, and they are outrageous. One coach called Brown's helmet boycott “honestly the most insane thing I have ever heard. I don't know why it's so important to him.”
Weeks later, Brown tried to sneak the old helmet into practice under the ruse that it was “repainted with colors approximating — but not completely mimicking — the Raiders' silver-and-black design.” The Raiders blocked that, and thought the issue was resolved, but then Brown tried to wear the old helmet again at training camp.
Mangling his feet in a French cryotherapy chamber is now the second-weirdest part of Brown's offseason.
COLTS STILL OUTTA LUCK
The Indianapolis Colts are taking no chances with Andrew Luck — or Adam Vinatieri.
Coach Frank Reich said Friday he expects the starting quarterback to miss at least three more practices with a strained left calf, likely keeping him off the field until Wednesday, when the Cleveland Browns come to town for a joint practice.
“He is continuing to progress with his strength, which is awesome,” Reich said on a conference call. “But there still is a degree of pain that he is not comfortable with. Obviously, we are not comfortable with putting him out there.”
The injury kept Luck out of the Colts' offseason workouts and he was sidelined again after practicing three times over the first four days of training camp, though he never took a snap in full team drills.
Backup Jacoby Brissett has worked with the starting offense. Brissett played most of the first quarter in Thursday's 24-16 loss at Buffalo before turning things over to Phillip Walker and Chad Kelly, the nephew of former Bills star Jim Kelly.
Reich declined to say whether Luck's injury might prompt the Colts to activate three quarterbacks for the Sept. 8 season opener against the Los Angeles Chargers.
“We remain confident and optimistic on Andrew's situation,” Reich said. “But again, it's still day-to-day and working through that plan, what is the best plan for him, for the team. So we will just adjust as needed, if needed.”
Luck led the Colts to the playoffs for the first time in four years last season and won the NFL's Comeback Player of the Year award after returning from shoulder surgery that caused him to miss the 2017 season.
BROWNS WR SUSPENDED
Browns wide receiver Antonio Callaway has stepped out of bounds again.
The NFL suspended Callaway four games without pay on Friday for an unspecified violation of the league's policy and program on substance abuse. Callaway will sit out the first four regular-season games.
The 22-year-old can practice and play in preseason games before his suspension begins. He will be eligible to return to the Browns' active roster on Sept. 30, the day after the team plays in Baltimore.
Callaway started Thursday night's exhibition opener against Washington because Browns coach Freddie Kitchens rested star receivers Odell Beckham Jr. and Jarvis Landry. He finished with three receptions for 42 yards.