“LAUGHABLE”: Kansas City Chiefs LB Willie Gay has been suspended for 4 games by the NFL for breaking a vacuum
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Kansas City Chiefs LB Willie Gay has been suspended. IMAGO/ Icon Sportswire
The Kansas City Chiefs could not have asked for a better start to their season, the team has won both the games that it has played so far beating the Arizona Cardinals and the Los Angeles Chargers. Entering the season there was a lot of speculation on how the team would fare considering it lost two athletes who were not just elite players but also vocal leaders, I am of course referring to Tyrann Mathieu and Tyreek Hill. However, the team seems to have handled their departure rather well but after the latest developments, the Chiefs may be left shorthanded on the defensive side of the ball.
Commissioner Roger Goodell has directed the league to suspend Kansas City Chiefs linebacker Willie Gay Jr. for a total of 4 games starting from week 3 of the regular season due to him violating the personal conduct policy of the NFL. Willie Gay joins Deshaun Watson who was also suspended for violating the same but make no mistake, the differences between what Watson was accused of in comparison to Willie Gay Jr. are polar opposites. Willie has been suspended for being arrested in Overland Park on the charges of misdemeanor property damage.
The latest suspension from the NFL will lead to the Kansas City Chiefs being short-handed on the defensive side of the ball as Gay will only be able to return in Week 7 of this season. The game that he will make his return in is set to be against Jimmy Garoppolo and the San Francisco 49ers in late October. The Chiefs will without a shadow of a doubt miss Willie in key matchups such as the Buccaneers, Raiders, and the Buffalo Bills.
Linebacker Willie Gay Jr plead not guilty to misdemeanor property damage charges and then volunteered to be a part of a “Diversion Program” that requires him to undergo treatments under a certified mental health counselor for the upcoming 12 months. The linebacker is a beast on the field but in his personal life, he was going through some sh*t. Gay has been dealing with some mental health issues before the incident that led the NFL to suspend him.
Of course, he does reserve the right to appeal his suspension and take a shot to get it down but the Chiefs were operating under a “Worst case scenario” approach that had him out of the roster. In order to ensure they had some sort of backup, they signed Elijah Lee and Jack Cochrane to their roster.
These players may ensure that the Chiefs will be covered on the defensive side of things but Gay was a top-dog in that defense. He had 16 tackles, one quarterback hit, and two passes defended. This may sound well and good but what Gay Jr. did result in a loss of less than $1,000. The diversion program aspect helped him avoid jail but think about it for a moment, the linebacker was suspended for 4 games because of an altercation that took place between him and the mother of his child.
Now compare that to what Deshaun Watson has done, Willie Gay Jr. seems to be nothing less than a saint. The NFL has to amend its punishment policies and the way it allots them. Sure, public opinion does matter but one cannot deny that the only reason the NFL even considered to settle with Watson was that everyone was hyped to see him in Cleveland.
The NFL has continued to have a rather “subjective” policy of allotting suspensions. But with their latest decision, Roger Goodell really is driving the league into the ground. Deshaun Watson, accused of 24+ accounts of sexual misconduct can reach a settlement of 11 games and $5 million in fines but a linebacker who caused maximum damage of a maximum of $1,000 is suspended for 4 games?
What is Goodell trying to prove? The hypocrisy is not just detrimental to the NFL’s reputation but also to Roger Goodell who projects himself as the primary reason for the growth of the league. In all honesty and in my personal opinion, Willie Gay did not deserve a 4-game suspension. One game would have sufficed. However, Goodell and the NFL have never shared the basis on which they allot suspensions. Let us know if Willie Gay deserved to stay in class or not!
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Also Read: Is Deshaun Watson and the Browns karma to blame for DISPARAGING loss to the Jets after leading by 13
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Sumedh Joshi
(2235 Articles Published)