That escalated quickly.

According to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network, the argument between Raiders wide receiver Antonio Brown and General Manager Mike Mayock didn’t get physical, but it included the threat.

Rapoport said that after screaming at each other Brown told Mayock that he’d hit him in the face, then punted a nearby football and said “Fine me for that.”

At this moment, the Raiders simply plan to suspend Brown, though they haven’t done it yet. That could be a moot point if threatening to assault the G.M. isn’t enough to merit punishment.

The next layer if intrigue will be whether it becomes an either-or for coach Jon Gruden, if he wants to back his G.M. or his star player. (Or frankly, whether Mayock needs the bother of working for a team that undoes his emphasis on character by trading for Brown and signing Richie Incognito and Vontaze Burfict).

It seems possible, if not likely, that putting all this toothpaste back in the tube will become an impossible task.