Shortly thereafter, Raiders coach Jack Del Rio tweeted his understandable confusion about the discipline, noting the
NFL's refusal to suspend the protagonists of an equally violent fight four weeks earlier in Jacksonville.
I've got news for you, Del Rio. Talib and Crabtree didn't just receive far harsher punishments than Cincinnati Bengals receiver A.J. Green and Jaguars cornerback Jalen Ramsey. If these suspensions hold up under expected appeals, they received two of the most severe disciplinary actions for an on-field incident in NFL history.
There are no official records for suspensions in pro football, but the website Football Zebras maintains a well-researched database that shows
only seven incidents since 1920 that resulted in multigame suspensions. (The list does not include suspensions under the drug or personal conduct policies.) If you're one who believes the NFL is cracking down more severely this season, you'll note that
two of the seven -- accounting for three of the eight players suspended -- have occurred this season.
The NFL seemed to take into account the prior history between Talib and Crabtree as well as Crabtree's punch of a Broncos player one play before the fight. Regardless, the NFL has placed them in rare company in an effort to root out fighting at a time of the season when maximum eyes are on the league and tensions tend to run high.
The first player to be suspended for more than one game under such circumstances was Green Bay Packers defensive lineman Charles Martin, who got two games from commissioner Pete Rozelle for body-slamming Chicago Bears quarterback Jim McMahon in 1986. Here is the rest of the list:
2005: Tennessee Titans defensive tackle Albert Haynesworth suspended five games for stomping on Dallas Cowboys center Andre Gurode.
2011: Detroit Lions defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh suspended two games for stomping on Packers center Evan Smith (formally known as Evan Dietrich-Smith).
2014: Washington Redskins safety Brandon Meriweather suspended two games for multiple illegal hits on defenseless players.
2016/2017: Cincinnati Bengals linebacker Vontaze Burfict suspended three games in consecutive seasons for hits on defenseless players and a blindside block, respectively.
2017: Talib and Crabtree suspended two games, pending appeals.
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