As Rams Bengals tempers ignite, is NFL discipline next?

Bad hot takes of Rams Bengals events already happening

The footage of the LA Rams-Cincinnati Bengals joint practice is fuzzy, is not complete, and tells a rather one-sided story about what transpired at the joint practice. It was enough to fuel the fire of public opinion and debate but is certainly inconclusive enough to allow anyone to supply their version of the narrative of today’s events from thousands of miles away.

And why not? It is an NFL headliner at a time when there is not much bonafide NFL news to compete.  And there is plenty to be said about the imagery of an NFL defensive lineman wielding the helmet of an opposing player, and none of those statements will offer much in the way of happy-happy joy-joy feelings.

Video evidence doesn’t show much more than a Bengals helmet

Here is a video that illustrates the skirmish. The LA Rams and Cincinnati Bengals were participating in a joint practice, a matter that was feared to be explosive with the recent history between these two teams:

Right on cue, skirmishes broke out. The example shown in the video (which was edited to rewind and replay the segment of the Bengals helmet in the grasp of what has been reported as the hand of LA Rams Aaron Donald) was just one of several skirmishes on the day.

The video footage is obscure and tells nothing of what’s happening before the event, nor of what is occurring during the scuffle. The video simply indicates that a Bengals helmet held in the hand of a Rams player came down on the helmet of another player.

Of course, you will be bombarded with hot takes, like this:

And this:

We have one-sided imagery that is not reflective of what happened. Many are comparing this incident to that of Myles Garrett using a helmet as a weapon during a prime-time NFL game. The NFL has historically not applied discipline to players involved in practices, whether for the team itself or in any joint practice scenarios.

While the footage may appear to be violent, that’s the nature of the NFL folks. Tempers flare throughout practices, regardless of the number of teams that participate. If the footage is shocking to you, perhaps you should revise your expectations. Bruhahas happen all the time.