Green Bay Packers running back Ryan Grant isn't exactly objective when it comes to Ndamukong Suh's two-game suspension for stomping on the arm of teammate Evan Dietrich-Smith during their Thanksgiving Day game.
As he told WSSL in Milwaukee, Grant believes the penalty handed down by the NFL needed to be longer.
"Do I think it needs to be longer? Yeah, I do. I think it’s absurd. It was about as overboard as you can get what he did; it’s just not football. Can’t have that. It was ridiculous, and it’s not something you want to see regardless.
I’m not a fan of the apology, I’m not a fan of what he said. Anybody in hindsight can say all that, but we’re talking about something that’s not exactly a first occurrence. There have been issues, there have been talks and communication with the commissioner and across the board."
The Detroit Lions' defensive tackle is appealing the suspension and will have a hearing with the NFL on Thursday afternoon.
Suh will presumably argue that his penalty is far more severe than others that have been handed out. For instance, Minnesota Vikings defensive end Brian Robison was fined $20,000 for kicking Packers offensive lineman T.J. Lang in the groin, but was not suspended.
But the NFL could point out, as Grant mentioned in his interview, that this wasn't an isolated incident for Suh, who has previously been reprimanded for unsportsmanlike conduct.
During his radio interview, however, Grant apparently didn't offer a suggestion as to how long Suh's suspension should be. Perhaps Grant, Smith and Suh can have a conversation about it when the Packers and Lions play again on Jan. 1.
(via Pro Football Talk)