Myles Garrett has said all the right things in the aftermath of unprecedented on-field misconduct. That said, he won’t be taking his punishment quietly.
As noted by Ian Rapoport of the NFL, Garrett will appeal the indefinite suspension that the league quickly imposed on Friday. Among other things, Garrett will argue that, as previously noted, the labor deal does not permit indefinite suspensions for on-field misconduct. Garrett wants a finite number, along with a reduction in the rest-of-the-season (including playoffs) banishment the league has imposed.
It’s a tricky argument, one that falls into the “be careful what you wish for” category. The league could react to the argument by saying, “You want a specific punishment? Fine. Twelve games.”
Whatever the outcome, either Derrick Brooks or James Thrash will handle the appeal. Given that Brooks agreed with a 12-game suspension for Vontaze Burfict’s latest violation of playing rules between the snap and the whistle, it’s hard to envision either hearing officer pushing back aggressively on the NFL’s punishment for what amounts to assault with a potentially deadly weapon.
