There was a report late on Monday that Texans defensive end Antonio Smith would be suspended by the league for up to two preseason games as punishment for using a helmet as a weapon against Dolphins guard Richie Incognito.
For a veteran like Smith, a suspension that allows him to skip two preseason games sounds like the same level of punishment as sending someone to prison on the night of their mother-in-law’s birthday dinner. That may explain why Ed Werder of ESPN is reporting that the league is considering whether to suspend Smith from one or more regular season games as a result of his actions. Smith is also expected to be fined.
According to Werder, the league is discussing whether it is “appropriate” to suspend Smith and force him to forfeit game checks for an incident that took place in the preseason. For a league that suspended Raiders quarterback Terrelle Pryor for the way he navigated the end of his collegiate career, it seems strange that such a distinction would matter in the least in the face of an attack by Smith that could have done serious damage to Incognito.
When you add in the past history between the two men from the first game of last season, anything other than a regular season suspension would barely qualify as a punishment.