The NFL will not levy any type of punishment for Aaron Donald, but the Rams will handle the matter internally.
The Los Angeles star and other players were involved in a brawl during Thursday’s joint practice with the Cincinnati Bengals. Helmets came off, and Donald made headlines by grabbing a helmet and swinging it around.
6-foot-1, 280-pound defensive lineman did not receive punishment from the league because the NFL does not have jurisdiction over joint practices. This differs from Cleveland Browns lineman Myles Garrett’s incident with Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Mason Rudolph, where a brawl involved Garrett hitting Rudolph with a helmet. The Browns lineman was suspended for the rest of the 2019 season, which ended up being six games.
Some fans and analysts believe Donald should receive a similar type of punishment, but the Rams announced Friday it will be handled behind closed doors.
“The incident will be addressed internally, and any discipline will remain in-house,” a Rams spokesperson said Friday when asked if Donald or other players would be disciplined, as transcribed by ESPN’s Sarah Bishop.
Donald has not spoken publicly about the brawl, but head coach Sean McVay did not want to make the incident a bigger deal than it already is.
