Aaron Donald choke: How did NFL punish Rams star?

Los Angeles Rams star Aaron Donald drew the attention of the NFL for his attempt to choke Cardinals lineman DJ Humphries. What’s his punishment?

Aaron Donald and the Rams may have come out of the Wild Card round with a victory over the Cardinals but the lineman also risked missing the next round over some very questionable actions.

During the game against Arizona, Donald got into a scuffle with offensive lineman DJ Humphries. Donald ripped off Humphries helmet and extended his hands to his throat in an apparent effort to choke him.

Donald looked lucky to escape an ejection there and then but the specter of NFL punishment remained.

Aaron Donald choke: How did NFL punish Rams star?

On Saturday, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com confirmed that Donald will not face a suspension from the league. His punishment consists of a $10,815 fine.

This is the second time this season Donald has been punished for going after an opponent’s neck. In December the NFL fined him $10,300 for an incident involving Lucas Patrick of the Packers.

Here are both incidents:

The strange thing about all this is the NFL levying a very similar fine on a second infraction by Donald.

The optics don’t look particularly good when you compare Donald’s punishment to others handed out as the playoffs got underway. Bucs corner Carlton Davis was fined $12,875 for taking his helmet off during a celebration. Kansas City wide receiver Tyreek Hill was fined the same amount for using a cheerleader’s pompoms while celebrating.

Maybe the NFL needs to change its guidelines for levying fines if trying to choke someone for the second time in a matter of months warrants less punishment than celebrations.