A brawl between the Cincinnati Bengals and Los Angeles Rams erupted during a joint practice session Thursday. Rams star Aaron Donald was caught on film swinging a helmet at Bengals players before getting thrown to the ground.
#Rams Aaron Donald used a #Bengals helmet to hit Cincy players after a fight broke out at joint practice. pic.twitter.com/GmfnsdCinJ
— Dov Kleiman (@NFL_DovKleiman) August 25, 2022
As still frame photos show, Donald actually had a Bengals helmet in each hand, ready to swing at a Bengals opponent.
#Rams Aaron Donald swinging two #Bengals helmets in the mix. pic.twitter.com/y92A0gNskd
— Sam Greene (@SGdoesit) August 25, 2022
Cleveland Browns All-Pro Myles Garrett infamously ripped Mason Rudolph’s helmet off his head and swung it at the Steelers quarterback during a game in 2019.
Garrett was suspended for six games after that act. But according to ProFootballTalk, Donald likely won’t receive any punishment unless the Rams administer it.
The NFL has no jurisdiction over joint practices. Which means Aaron Donald would be punished only by the Rams for Thursday's incident. Which means Aaron Donald won't be punished at all. https://t.co/kiyi4awIzb
— ProFootballTalk (@ProFootballTalk) August 25, 2022
The Associated Press echoed that, quoting an anonymous league official who said, “Any punishment for the brawl would have to be issued by the Rams and Bengals because the NFL doesn’t impose discipline for conduct at practice.”
So the NFL has no jurisdiction over NFL practices? Yet those practices are governed by rules of the NFL/NFLPA collective bargaining agreement? How is that possible?
I mean, there are rules over how long practices can be, what you can (and can’t) do during them, how often teams can wear pads, what times of year you can hit, etc.
But are we going to blur the lines over something this significant? Seriously? Donald should be suspended. Substantially.
I know we will do what we always do in Pittsburgh and move the goalposts on this debate so that we can protect who we like and convict who we hate.
If Garrett got six games, Donald should at least get a punishment close to that. Why not? Because it wasn’t on national television? Because it wasn’t a game? Because the guy who was hit happened to have a helmet on, too, unlike Rudolph?
So what? We’re all seeing it now. It’s the same act.
Are we changing our tune because we applaud Donald since he went to Pitt and Penn Hills, and Garrett plays in Cleveland and swung at a Steeler?
Let’s be honest. Those are the only differences and the only reasons why the outrage over this incident in Pittsburgh isn’t equal to what it was when Garrett swung at Rudolph.
The fact that a league-sanctioned practice, with contact, between two member franchises, under rules authored in the CBA, can suddenly cease to be overseen by the league when an incident of this magnitude erupts is asinine.
It is intellectually inconsistent. Donald needs to be suspended.
