NFL must suspend Kiko Alonso for cheap shot on Joe Flacco

If we’re going to sit back and call out Chicago Bears linebacker Danny Trevathan for his hit on Davante Adams, we have to be somewhat consistent.

That consistency comes in the form of also calling out Miami Dolphins linebacker Kiko Alonso after he put Baltimore Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco in the concussion protocol with this cheap hit.

Flacco might have been a runner on this specific play, but he gave himself up. There’s no reason in the world that Alonso should have even attempted to lay a hit on the quarterback, let alone lead with his helmet. There’s no room in the game of football for this.

Alonso was obviously called for a personal foul penalty here. But that shouldn’t be the extent of the punishment he receives. We’ll obviously see a fine handed the linebacker’s way. That’s without question.

But if the NFL is serious about player safety, there’s no reason why Alonso shouldn’t be suspended for at least one game. It was a blatantly dirty hit to a quarterback’s head, a quarterback that was giving himself up.

If the league decides against suspending Alonso, the whole idea that its punishment process is arbitrary will be taken to an entirely new level. This isn’t what the NFL needs as it attempts to move forward with a policy of protecting its players. And whether we like it or not, said policy should start at the all-important quarterback position.

It will surely be interesting to see what comes of this, but a suspension would not be ridiculous. We know football is a contact sport. But there’s a specific threshold that can’t be crossed. Alonso crossed it Thursday night.