On Thursday, a shocking video surfaced showing Los Angeles Rams star defensive tackle Aaron Donald swinging a helmet at Cincinnati Bengals players after a fight broke out during a joint practice. But unlike Cleveland Browns defensive end Myles Garrett, who did the same thing during a game back in 2019, Donald will likely not be facing any punishment at all.
According to Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk, the NFL has no jurisdiction over practices, instead leaving teams responsible for overseeing their own players on the practice field. While this decision was likely intended for individual team practices, it also applies to joint practices, which have become increasingly popular in recent years.
This rule means that if Donald is to face any suspension for his actions during Thursday’s practice, that suspension would have to come from the Rams, which feels unlikely given Donald’s importance to the team.
So while Garrett was suspended for the rest of the season after he hit Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Mason Rudolph with a helmet back in 2019, it looks like Donald won’t be facing any suspension – or any punishment at all, for that matter.
Perhaps this incident will convince the NFL to police joint practices in the future. But for now, it looks like Donald is getting off free.
