NFL has huge hypocrisy problem with Seahawks Jarran Reed suspension

The six game suspension of Seahawks DT Jaraan Reed is more than just a blow to the starting lineup on game day – it’s an egregious example of the inconsistent hypocrisy of the NFL.

In April of 2017, the Bellevue (Washington) Police responded to a domestic violence complaint. Seahawks defensive tackle Jarran Reed was never charged and never arrested. The NFL decided to conduct it’s own investigation into the matter as it often does and, over two years after the incident, they suspended Reed for the first six games of the 2019 season.

I don’t have a problem with suspending a player that was involved in a domestic violence matter – in fact, the player absolutely should be. My issue lies with the inconsistency and the arbitrary nature in which they decide to levy suspensions.

The Tyreek Hill saga is still in the front of the minds of NFL fans – he was cleared only three days ago – and that alone begs many, many questions. Why, and how, did Hill get off without even a slap on the wrist when he was under investigation for threatening and abusing the mother of his children? His son said, “Daddy did it,” when asked about his broken arm. And Hill is on audio telling the mother of his children, Crystal Espinal, “You need to be terrified of me, too, dumb b—-”

Did I mention that he had previously plead guilty to abusing Espinal in 2014? The Chiefs drafted him in 2016 anyways. Why? Because he’s really, really fast.

According to the NFL Personal Conduct Policy (you can read it yourself here), in the very first bullet point under the heading of “Expectations and Standards of Conduct,” it reads:

“Actual or threatened physical violence against another person, including dating violence,
domestic violence, child abuse, and other forms of family violence;”

Hill is literally on audio threatening violence against another person and was let off without any form of discipline. Disgusting.

By not suspending Tyreek Hill and levying a suspension against the Seahawks’ Jarran Reed, the NFL is putting itself in a terrible situation. The only thing the NFL has accomplished is to make three points perfectly clear when it comes to potential suspensions:

1. If you smoke weed or have an addiction problem, you get suspended.
2. If there’s an allegation of domestic violence made against you and you aren’t a young skill player, you will be punished to the full extent of the ability of the league in an attempt to save face.
3. If you’re really good at football, put fans in seats and you abuse someone, the league will let you get away with it.

It’s an atrocious stain.

The league needs to make clear their stance, and it needs to be all or nothing. Either A) tie your punishment to the legal system. If a player is convicted, they are banned; or B) levy a suspension to anyone that credible allegations are made against.

Personally? I’m for option B. The league has been facing a problem with their abysmal policies around the Personal Conduct Policy for years now. Draw a hard line. Take a firm stance. Have a zero tolerance policy for anyone with so much as a shred of domestic violence doubt surrounding them until they are legally cleared. If NFL commissioner Roger Goodell wants to change the narrative around the perceptively biased nature of the punishments he has handed down, then he must make it known that abuse will not be tolerated in any way.

The league putting themselves in a middle ground situation where they have the right to play jury, judge and executioner is unorganized and biased. It has to stop, not only for the current state of the league but for the message it sends to young men everywhere that idolize these athletes. By continuing on the path that they are, the NFL is bordering on the edge of inadvertently condoning domestic violence.