The NFL isn’t messing around these days when it comes to enforcing discipline that stems from hits that have been legislated out of the league. On Tuesday, the league suspended Pittsburgh Steelers receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster and Cincinnati Bengals safety George Iloka one game each for their dirty hits on Monday night.
Per the league’s release, they were suspended for for violations of safety-related playing rules.
JuJu Smith-Schuster & George Iloka have each been suspended 1 game for violations of safety-related playing rules. pic.twitter.com/OyDq7Ca4jy
— Michael Signora (@NFLfootballinfo) December 5, 2017
Smith-Schuster’s hit was a little more noteworthy in that he absolutely decked Vontaze Burfict on a blind-side block that ended up with Burfict being carted off the field (watch here). Iloka launched into Antonio Brown on the receiver’s touchdown catch in the fourth quarter, going helmet to helmet.
The NFL has made it clear that hits like the one Smith-Schuster was responsible for are absolutely banned. What he did was very similar to what Rob Gronkowski did on Sunday in that he clearly went after Burfict, regardless of what he said afterward, and the league handed him a one-game suspension, too.
Both players will certainly appeal and have three days to complete that process.