While the NFL did uphold the one-game suspension Pittsburgh Steelers receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster received for his actions against the Cincinnati Bengals Monday night, another central figure in the ugly Week 13 contest has won his appeal.
According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, Bengals safety George Iloka has won his appeal and will not be suspended.
Bengals S George Iloka won his appeal and will not be suspended, per source.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) December 6, 2017
As with Smith-Schuster, Iloka was initially suspended one game by the NFL earlier in the week. His suspension stemmed from a helmet-to-helmet hit on Steelers wide receiver Antonio Browns.
The NFL’s punishment following Monday’s game has drawn a ton of scrutiny, with some concluding that it’s arbitrary in nature.
Though, common logic seems to indicate that Iloka should have never been suspended in the first place. A fine should have more than done the trick here, which the NFL appeals process seemed to clarify with the decision on Wednesday.