NFL 2015: Complete list of every offseason suspension
The National Football League might technically be in the offseason, but the news cycle never stops. On Friday morning, the NFL suspended two more players, Sean Smith of the Kansas City Chiefs and Derek Wolfe of the Denver Broncos, for three and four games, respectively.
It seems to be an epidemic in the league, with commissioner Roger Goodell dropping the hammer on players. While the punishments lack any real consistency at times, Goodell seems hellbent on making sure the league is seen as proactive.
Here’s a list of every suspension handed down since Super Bowl 49, with date, player, team, games lost and reason for punishment included:
[table id=102 /]
The 20 suspensions handed down by Goodell are more than the 17 levied in the same time period last offseason. Without question, the NFL is trying to crack down on all types of offenses, although legitimate criticism would point out that the league always seems to be off-kilter.
For instance, it boggles the mind how Hardy was suspended for 10 games before appealing his ruling and seeing it dropped to four. Hardy was accused of beating his then-girlfriend Nicole Holder in a brutal fashion before throwing her down on a couch full of guns. Ultimately, Hardy was found guilty in a North Carolina court for a misdemeanor, but the charges were later dropped when Holder failed to appear at a court date.
Somehow, all of that is equal to Brady deflating a football by one PSI … which we don’t have real proof of. Hardy was also suspended for the final 15 games of last season and was put on the Commissioner’s Exempt List. However, he was still paid his full salary during that absence.