New details have emerged regarding the altercation between Oakland Raiders wide receiver Antonio Brown and team GM Mike Mayock, including how Brown initiated the heated exchange midway through practice on Wednesday. As previously reported, AB was upset that he was fined $54,000 for missing a team walkthrough and other pre-season activities.
Per ESPN's Josina Anderson:
"The Raiders source confirmed information from another league source who said Brown called Mayock a "cracker" and unleashed a barrage of "cuss words" during the altercation."
The team source said Mayock tried to keep his cool and defuse the situation.
"[Mayock] was like, 'I'm cool, I understand your displeasure,'" the source said. "[Mayock] sort of just like ... just walked away because he saw it escalate."
Brown, who did not practice on Thursday and is expected to be suspended, reportedly had to be held back by his teammates, which included Vontaze Burfict, just in case you didn't think the story was bizarre enough already.
During an appearance on ESPN's "Get Up!" on Friday, Brown's agent, Drew Rosenhaus, said AB's relationship with head coach Jon Gruden is 'very good' and chalked up the Mayock incident as growing pains in a new workplace environment.
"Right now I think his relationship with Coach Gruden is good, very good," Rosenhaus said Friday, per ESPN. "I'm not going to get into his relationship with Mike Mayock, but I will say that we're hopeful that that will be a good one, as well. It has been in the past; it can be in the future."
"Listen, the NFL is a workplace. And in workplace environments, not everything is perfect. Antonio is a new player on this football team and we're trying to make it a very good relationship across the board. But what is very common in a new relationship is you try to get things in a good place. And it takes time."
The Raiders will host the division rival Denver Broncos in the second game of ESPN's Monday night double-header. As of now, it certainly doesn't look like Antonio Brown will be on the field for the opener.