As Browns defensive end Myles Garrett waits for the final verdict for hitting Steelers quarterback Mason Rudolph over the head with his own helmet, Seahawks coach Pete Carroll has given his own assessment of the matter.
“I thought it was a really horrific situation,” Carroll told reporters on Wednesday. “Could’ve been very, very dangerous and all that. The league dealt with it like they should, I guess. I don’t know much of the details. I don’t know how they’re looking at all of the guys involved. I have not paid that much attention to it other than just the demonstration of it was really horrific. We just can’t have stuff happen like that in our game. No sport should look like that at any time.”
He’s right, and that’s why the end result needs to be a significant suspension -- in order to ensure that no other NFL player will ever engage in similar behavior in the future.
This time, Garrett, Rudolph, and the NFL got lucky; Rudolph was fine. Next time, the person doing the hitting, the person taking the hit, and the game may not be so lucky. The NFL needs to ensure that there won’t be a next time.