OPINION: There’s no room for players like Myles Garrett in the NFL
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A certified NFL Football sits on an astroturf field. After the Sunday, Nov. 17 fight with Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Mason Rudolph, Cleveland Browns defensive end Myles Garret should be fully removed from the NFL, The State Hornet opinion writer Jordan Parker writes.
November 20, 2019
“Disgusting” and “Unbelievable” – my first reactions when I opened my Twitter app.
Cleveland Browns defensive end Myles Garrett ripped off Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Mason Rudolph’s helmet and slammed it into his head during the Steelers vs Browns game Thursday. Actions like these are not only dirty, but they have no place in a game that is already too violent.
Following the brawl, the NFL suspended Garrett indefinitely, for the rest of this season at minimum. It is a fair choice to consider that Garrett should never step foot on an NFL field again. Outside of the football world, his actions would have resulted in an assault charge and jail time for using his opponent’s helmet as a weapon.
I could understand taking his helmet off in the heat of the moment but there is no excuse to use that helmet to deliver blunt trauma to the head. What if the hit to Rudolph’s head resulted in a serious injury him or even killed him? What would have happened then? Would Garrett have been made responsible? Would Garrett have been arrested?
For all of those fans out there that are willing to forgive this heinous act, this isn’t an isolated incident this season. Let’s flashback to week one of the season against the Tennessee Titans where Garrett punched Titans tight end Delanie Walker after the play was over.
Or we can look back to week two of the season when Garrett delivered two obvious late hits to New York Jets quarterback Trevor Siemian, causing Siemian to suffer ligament damage that ended his season.
Myles Garrett, 2019 dirty plays
Week 1: Punched Titans TE Delanie Walker after whistle
Week 2: Ended Jets QB Trevor Siemian’s season on late hit
Week 11: Struck Steelers QB Mason Rudolph over head with helmet@NFL should suspend him for the rest of season #Browns pic.twitter.com/Uf3hi5K4L7
— Kevin Boilard (@247KevinBoilard) November 15, 2019
Garrett’s actions weren’t that of normal on-the-field behavior, they were more like something found at a UFC Fight Night. And, sure, Rudolph instigated the fight with a few kicks and a helmet pull of his own, but that doesn’t absolve Garrett for his retaliation.
After the incident, Cleveland Browns head coach Freddie Kitchens issued a statement saying the organization will stand with the troubled defensive end.
“He understands he let himself down, he let his teammates down, he let his organization down,” Kitchens said about Garrett.
As for Garrett, his goal should be to learn how to play football the proper way before he thinks about submitting his request of reinstatement to the league office.
No matter what he goes on to accomplish during the rest of his career, Garrett will have a permanent stain on his career, commemorating the time he assaulted a quarterback with a helmet on national television.
Garrett is deserving of his suspension and at the earliest shouldn’t return until the 2020 season. His actions were out of line and the league must show that there is a price to be paid for horrendous acts like the one he pulled during last Thursday’s game.
It’s clear that the punishment fits the crime on this one and Commissioner Roger Goodell must uphold the suspension levied to Garrett.
Owen Murray • Jan 12, 2020 at 8:42 pm
I just wanted to add this thought. Of all the great and dominant NFL teams in the Super Bowl era, from the Packers in the 60’s, the Steelers in the 70’s, the 49ers in the 1980’s, Cowboys and the 90’s, and the Patriots in the first two decades of this century, none of them were known for dirty play. They played tough, but they played clean. Lots of us loved to hate Bill Belichick and the Patriots for being so good for so long, but they didn’t need to play dirty to win (well, there was Deflategate and Spygate, but that’s not the same as crippling somebody for life, and I don’t think those ethical lapses helped them much anyway). There was another no-call this weekend regarding a late hit on Lamar Jackson by Jeffery Simmons of the Titans, and as Mr. Parker says, the NFL needs to get serious about punishing unnecessary roughness. Football is dangerous enough when it is played clean, but the NFL needs to keep its players as safe as possible. It’s the right thing to do.
Owen Murray • Jan 5, 2020 at 8:58 pm
I appreciate Parker’s strong ethical stand. Winning is important, but it has to be done the right way. Football should be played tough, but clean. Which has nothing to do with the Patriots getting beat down by the Titans yesterday, but oh my goodness! Go Niners!
Elijah Grimes • Nov 22, 2019 at 12:43 pm
Great Article! I always look forward to reading what JP has to say!