The NFL isn’t messing around on Tuesday. After upholding the one-game suspension Oakland Raiders running back Marshawn Lynch received for making contact with an official, the league has done the same with Minnesota Vikings safety Andrew Sendejo.
Andrew Sendejo's 1-game suspension has been upheld.
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) October 24, 2017
Sendejo was suspended one game for an illegal hit on Baltimore Ravens wide receiver Mike Wallace last week (more on that here).
While the hit did force Wallace out with a concussion, suspending the safety seemed to be a bit ridiculous on the surface. A Pro Bowl caliber performer this season, Sendejo does not have a history of dirty plays. Sure he was fined for an illegal hit earlier in the year, but even that didn’t draw a penalty at the time.
It’s a bitter pill for the Vikings to swallow, even as they face a winless Cleveland Browns squad on Sunday. The NFL’s arbitrary suspension process has come under fire recently, and this is just the most-recent example.