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Football is a dangerous sport and every player is aware there’s a chance some serious punishment can be inflicted upon them whenever they step onto the field.
More often than not, the punishment in question comes in the form of a brutal hit, but during the most recent installment of Thursday Night Football, Myles Garrett introduced a new risk when he ripped off Mason Rudolph’s helmet and swung it at the quarterback after tempers flared with the clock winding down in the fourth quarter.
It was one of the most shocking plays that I’ve ever seen on a football field, and while players have engaged in some pretty heated altercations before, this is a truly unprecedented incident that could have resulted in serious injury if Garrett had managed to make solid contact with Rudolph’s unprotected cranium.
Twitter absolutely erupted after the fracas and a number of current and former players weighed in—including Patrick Mahomes and J.J. Watt, who succinctly summed things up when they expressed their disbelief.
Todd Gurley also spoke out with a reaction that was a bit more lighthearted than the rest of the ones I’ve come across.
There’s no doubt Garrett will be suspended as a result of the fight, and while it’s unclear how long he’ll be banished, Reggie Bush gave a slightly hyperbolic estimate.
James Harrison also chimed in and implied Garrett would be arrested over the incident if it had happened anywhere else.
Deion Sanders, on the other hand, placed some of the blame of Rudolph for sparking the fight.
Here’s what some other players had to say.
It’s going to be very interesting to watch how things play out in the coming days.