In the aftermath of the practice-ending fight between the Cincinnati Bengals and Los Angeles Rams, things have now turned to whether Aaron Donald will see punishment for recklessly swinging helmets at Bengals players during the scuffle.
Buy Bengals TicketsCBS Sports Josina Anderson reported one angle of the situation that suggested the NFL won’t hand down any punishment because it leaves practice situations up to each team: “League source this evening on helmet-throwing scuffle during #Rams #Bengals joint practice: ‘Club handles, so the league does not get involved. Always been that way.'”
That sounds like it slams the door on any sort of punishment for Donald.
But Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio threw out an interesting angle — the NFL could potentially punish the Rams, not the player:
“Per a source with knowledge of the procedures, the league could impose sanctions on the Rams, if it’s determined that the Rams had any fault in the matter, such as failing to exercise proper control over their players.”
On one hand, it seems highly unlikely the league would do anything other than wag a finger at Donald and the Rams, the league’s best defender and Super Bowl champs, respectively. But given that we’re in a new era of sensitivity toward player health and safety, the door seems at least a little ajar.
But as a whole? Anyone putting energy into expecting the NFL to take action is probably better spent using it on something else.
