Are you a red space or a black space player in roulette? Or maybe you play for the green 0? In today’s NFL, there always seems to be some controversy arising, and the punishment or suspension is decided at random—like the outcome on a roulette wheel.
Atlanta Falcon wide receiver Calvin Ridley was suspended for a full season after he bet on
his own team while injured and unable to play.
New Cleveland Brown quarterback Deshaun Watson faced lawsuits from 24 women on sexual assault charges, and settled most of them, but only faces a 6-game suspension.
You can see the disparity here that leads to the randomization of suspensions. The next head scratcher that arises: the drug usage policy.
Josh Gordon was drafted in the second round in 2012 by the Browns and was touted
as a lethal receiver with high-speed capabilities, and could possibly be an all-time top ball catcher. His career has been marred and derailed by suspensions because of the league’s substance abuse policy.
The NFL isn’t very lenient with their drug policy. Gordon has been suspended 5 separate times due to marijuana or alcohol. Yes, some of these instances were prompted because he put others in danger for irresponsible usage. But he has sought help.
Where it gets a bit hazier, now: Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers has recently revealed he took the ancient hallucinogen known as Ayahuasca, crediting it with helping him produce his “best season ever.”
Ayahuasca is a brewed psychoactive drug from South America. In the 16th century, Christian missionaries noted the drug was “the work of the devil,” a common comparison for marijuana.
Where does Ayahuasca rank on the league’s substance policy? Despite it producing a much more intense “high” than marijuana, according to healthline.com, it does not constitute a prohibited substance within their guidelines. And what if it really did enhance the performance of Rodgers? MLB has struggled with the containment of PEDs for decades, and the NFL is just going to let it slide?
Rodgers is somewhat of a polarizing figure in the NFL, but has never been punished for some of his most controversial actions. Last season, he lied about his vaccination status.
On August 26, 2021, Rodgers was asked if he was vaccinated and he responded with, “Yeah I’m immunized.” Three months later, Rodgers tested positive for Covid, which quickly revealed he was not, in fact, Covid-vaccinated. He went on a talk show a few days later and said he never really lied about his status, but that he never answered the question clearly, either.
The NFL fined him for violating the vaccination policy, but never suspended him. Neither did the Packers. He finished the season without additional disciplinary action.
A trend that appears is the quarterbacks, short of “DeflateGate,” seem to get off a little easier than the wide receivers do when it comes to league policy violations.
Both Rodgers and Gordon are openly involved in drugs. Gordon gets kicked out at every turn, while Rodgers is applauded and praised. Watson has accusations upon accusations of sexual assault and is suspended 6 games. Calvin Ridley bets on a game and is out a whole year.
The NFL has always been a mish-mosh when it comes to controlling and disciplining players, and it starts with the head of the league. Roger Goodell needs to establish a course of action for discipline and keep it fair, not just a crapshoot of potential outcomes depending upon how they’re feeling any given Sunday.
The NFL has fumbled the ball. It’s high time someone picked it up.
