The Cincinnati Bengals and Los Angeles Rams will play Saturday night in the final preseason game before Week 1, but the two teams’ joint practice work at Paycor Stadium was called off earlier than planned after a heated confrontation. (Read More Here).
Three years ago, Myles Garrett was suspended six games after swinging Mason Rudolph’s helmet during a game. That precedent may soon become important, as video emerged from Thursday’s Rams-Bengals joint practice of Aaron Donald doing the same thing. (Read More Here).
A photo posted by Sam Greene, a photojournalist with The Cincinnati Enquirer, shows Rams defensive lineman Aaron Donald holding two Bengals’ helmets, one in each hand. And a video from CincyHub shows Donald viciously swinging one helmet before getting knocked to the ground and then being held back. Multiple punches were thrown between the two teams. (Read More Here).
Jay Morrison of TheAthletic.com wrote on social media that there were “full on roundhouse punches being swung, helmets being slammed on other peoples heads, multiple players joining in. Full on melee.”
Donald was scheduled for a news conference after the session, which ended three reps early, but he did not talk Thursday, according to Klein.
“I just see guys swinging and some guys have helmets on; some don’t,” McVay said. “There’s a scrum. You just never know what can occur. And my biggest concern in just unnecessary injuries for people that we’re counting on.”
Some minor scuffles took place before the brawl that ended practice, with Bengals right tackle La’el Collins throwing a Rams’ helmet.
The Rams and Bengals seem to be fortunate someone wasn’t seriously injured, and the NFL needs to ensure that it doesn’t ever happen by punishing players under the Personal Conduct Policy.
Perhaps there was some bad blood left over from the Super Bowl, in which Donald’s Rams won a closely fought contest over Cincinnati. Still, this brawl is well beyond what would be considered the norm in a joint practice.
What repercussions come from it — if any — will become clear in time.
“Emotions run high,” said Taylor. “We’ve been working together for two days now and that’s just some real competitive guys getting into it a little bit. … You just want to make sure everyone’s healthy.”
Of course, there is some recent history between these two teams as they just went toe-to-toe in Super Bowl LVI this past February. There, it was the Rams who came out on top and hoisted the Lombardi Trophy, but each club is expected to be competitive once again in 2022.
Unfortunately for the football-watching world, Sunday’s exhibition may be the only time we see these two teams go at it as they’re not scheduled to play one another during the regular season. So, if the Bengals truly want to get revenge on L.A., it’ll have to come in Super Bowl LVII in Arizona this winter.
So, the NFL has no problem suspending players for various things they do off the field or in an actual game but can’t suspend a player for something he did on the practice field? Makes total sense.
Between the suspensions to Garrett and most recently Deshaun Watson, if Donald isn’t suspended for his antics, the Browns will be, as Watson likes to say, “triggered,” so at least some good would come of this scenario.
Jimmy: A reminder: Myles Garrett was indefinitely suspended by the NFL following his helmet-swinging incident. Garrett missed the final six games of the 2019 season before the NFL reinstated him in February 2020.
Richard: This mfer Aaron Donald is gonna kill somebody wtf 😂
We’re just gonna still through this video and say “haha Aaron Donald is wild” knowing he should probably be charged with assault.
Discover more from KossyDerrickent
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
