Rob Gronkowski’s suspension already was controversial. Then, Steelers wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster and Bengals safety George Iloka each received a one-game suspension for their devastating hits Monday night in Pittsburgh’s 23-20 win over Cincinnati.
Gronkowski was slapped with a one-game ban Monday for delivering a late cheap shot on Bills cornerback Tre’Davious White on Sunday in New England’s 23-3 win over Buffalo. But many felt the Patriots tight end got off easy, especially after it was announced Tuesday that Schuster and Iloka received the same punishment despite committing their respective crimes between the whistles.
Shannon Sharpe and Skip Bayless discussed the suspensions Wednesday on FS1’s “Undisputed,” and Sharpe, a former NFL tight end, had a huge issue with how the league handled everything. According to Sharpe, Gronk should have been suspended for multiple games given the nature of his wrongdoing.
Sharpe isn’t alone in criticizing how lenient the NFL was in suspending Gronkowski for only one game. Stephen A. Smith expressed a similar sentiment Tuesday on ESPN’s “First Take,” and some folks on social media also are outraged that Gronk will be back in time for the Patriots’ crucial Week 15 showdown with the Steelers in Pittsburgh.
