Seattle Seahawks edge rusher Derick Hall has been suspended for one game because of something he did against the Los Angeles Rams in Week 16. In the first half against LA, quarterback Matthew Stafford had dropped back to pass, Hall was lined up to his right, and then Seattle's young player made a moral mistake.
After the play was done, Hall began walking back to his side of the ball when he stopped and stepped on the ankle of Rams right guard Kevin Dotson. The injury appears to have forced Dotson from the game, where he was later seen in a walking boot, and he could not return. His timeline for return is unknown.
How would 12s feel if an opponent had done the same thing to a Seahawks player? Outrage should rightfully be felt. The same should be felt in the opposite situation. Hall affected another person's ability to play, and potentially, that person's livelihood.
Derick Hall suspended for apparently classless move in Seattle Seahawks' Week 16 victory
Hall was classless in the move. Was it intentional? The Seahawks edge rusher probably didn't mean to hurt another player, but at the same time, NFL players are highly-trained athletes who understand their movements. The Seattle edge rusher was not out of control when he began walking after the play.
Those who might think that he didn't intentionally step on the ankle of Dotson might be misled. Players avoid other players after a player on every down. Hall wasn't out of control, and it appears as if he could have avoided the six-year veteran. Maybe not with ease, but Hall would have likely also expected an opponent to avoid stepping on him in the same situation.
Head coach Mike Macdonald and the Seattle Seahawks simply shouldn't accept such behavior. Derick Hall has been a good player in the last two seasons, but even if he had been elite, there is simply no place for him to put another person's livelihood in risk.
Moreover, what happens the next time the Seahawks and the Los Angeles Rams play? Will LA seek retribution against Hall? Or worse, maybe seek to be a bit too physical with a more important part of Macdonald's team?
Hopefully not, and LA hopefully has more class than Hall exuded in Week 16 because a one-game suspension doesn't seem like enough for a player who might have potentially injured another.