With the Broncos due to play the Chiefs on Sunday and cornerback Aqib Talib suspended for the game by the NFL, the appeal process needs to unfold quickly. And it will.
Mike Klis of 9news.com reports that the hearing will happen on Tuesday. A decision undoubtedly will come before the Broncos practice on Wednesday.
The procedure for on-field discipline delegates the decision to one of two neutral arbitrators jointly hired and paid by the NFL and the NFL Players Association. This year, the hearing officers are Derrick Brooks and James Thrash.
For most on-field infractions, the NFL applies a system of progressive discipline, with multiple fines before a suspension. For conduct occurring after the whistle, however, the NFL is much more willing to escalate the punishment directly to a suspension.
In late 2007, former Patriots defensive tackle Vince Wilfork drew a $15,000 fine for trying to poke Giants running back Brandon Jacobs in the eye. Wilfork was never suspended for the move, presumably because the attempted poke didn’t actually connect with Jacobs’ eye.
That wasn’t the case for Talib, who clearly jammed his finger into the eye socket of Colts tight end Dwayne Allen after a play ended. It made the move much more like former Lions defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh’s Thanksgiving Day stomp on the arm of former Packers offensive lineman Evan Smith. Suh was suspended two games (and ejected) for the deliberate and blatant post-whistle application of his foot in forceful fashion to Smith’s arm.
Last year, Suh avoided a one-game suspension on appeal for stepping on the lower leg of Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers, presumably because it wasn’t clear that Suh was deliberately attacking Rodgers.
On Sunday, it was clear that Talib was deliberately making unnecessary post-whistle contact with Dwayne Allen’s right eye. Talib claims that the contact with the eye wasn’t intentional, but if he wasn’t intending to poke Allen in the eye, what was Talib intending to do?
Bottom line: Don’t be surprised if Talib’s suspension is upheld, which will impact the bottom line of his federal tax form via the loss of $323,529.41 in pay under his $5.5 million salary for 2015.
It also will make him unavailable for Sunday’s game against the Chiefs.