George Iloka won’t serve a one-game suspension after all. The Bengals safety has won his appeal, according to an announcement from the team. 
Iloka was initially given a one-game ban for his helmet-to-helmet hit on Antonio Brown with 3:55 left in Monday night’s game. Instead, he’ll pay a $36K fine and suit up for Sunday’s game against the Bears. Had he been suspended, Iloka would have missed out on a $235K game check and his $31K per-game roster bonus. Wednesday’s decision by appeals officer Derrick Brooks will save him a pretty penny.
Initially, Iloka was reprimanded by NFL Vice President of Football Operations Jon Runyan for his especially violent tackle.
“On a play which began with 3:55 left in the game, you violently struck a defenseless receiver in the head and neck area,” Runyan wrote. “The Competition Committee has clearly expressed its goal of ‘eliminating flagrant hits that have no place in our game’ and has encouraged the League office to suspend offenders for egregious violations such as the one you committed [on Sunday].”
If Iloka’s suspension was upheld, the Bengals likely would have signed a safety or promoted a defensive back like Tony McRae or Sojourn Shelton from the practice squad. They can hold off on any roster moves now.
Steelers wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster was also suspended for an incident in the same game. He tried to appeal his one-game ban, but the league quickly rejected his plea.
#FreeJuJu
Can we please get #FreeJuJu trending
While I agree Ju Ju should be have been suspended for the hit but the fact he stood over him taunting him is ridiculous and there is no room for that crap. Glad he got a suspension for that. The thing I mainly have a problem with is Gronk..now they guy should’ve gotten 2-3 games not just 1.
That’s dumb. None of these guys should have been suspended, especially Gronk.
The guy has never done a single thing in his entire career and he was being mugged by that CB all game long. Not a smart thing I do but it’s friggin football FFS!!!
Yea it’s friggin football not the WWE, you can’t be intentionally trying to hurt other players after the play is over regardless of what went on during the play. Gronk is lucky it wasn’t a longer suspension.
Dude did you even watch the play or just a pats homer? Do people that commit egregious crimes get away with it cause they never did anything wrong? Really silly argument. His play was the worse of the 3.
Dude? Did you watch the game or are you just a Pats hater? The whole game was chippy with guys taking shots on the patriots the entire game. They were given it back to no doubt about it but let’s not pretend that this one incident was out of character for what was going on that whole game! Which is my point. The bills were taking shots at Gronk The whole game up until that point.
It still does nothing to further your argument or excuse what Gronk did. Now you want to say oh well the bills were chippy all game. How many waited for a play to be over with to go dive on a patriot? If Gronk can’t control his emotions and temper he deserves what he got.
I could care less about the Pats but it’s lame when you want to use the excuse he’s never done anything wrong before.
How many Bills waited for the play to be over? There was at least one Bill who waited and attacked Amendola and ripped his helmet off. Got a penalty for it too. Where the outrage for that? Exactly. It’s football and that type of thing happens. But what would you know, You didn’t even see the game. The point is and has been that a suspension is BS and frankly Gronkowski has been a model player in the NFL and considering what was going on during that game it should have been a fine. A large fine but all these suspensions all of a sudden is nonsense.
Spare me with the “it’s football” bs. When you intentionally try to injure someone after a play, that isn’t “football.”
Tell that to the Bills. They were taking cheap shots the whole game. Not just on Gronk either.
You aren’t smart. Think could’ve hurt that guy’s spine! Caused a concussion with a deliberate elbow to the back of the head?!? I’d suspend him for as many games as T. White misses.
White will miss zero games. So what’s your point? I think by your logic the Bills player who tore off Danny Amendola’s helmet in that cheap shot after the play was over should also be suspended because he could’ve hurt him and injured his spine and maybe ended his career. No? Or is it because he’s a patriot so screw them?
Surprising they overturned his but not JuJu. Iloka went head hunting. JuJu had a crack back block and then taunted. JuJu had bad sportsmanship but Iloka hit the head. JuJu didn’t hit in the head. These decisions make no sense.
Yes, #FreeJuJu
Theyre both Illegal and dangerous plays that the NFL is trying to remove but Juju took it a step further by taunting a clearly injured player. They both deserved a suspension but Jujus behavior was much worse which is why his wasn’t overturned. He probably doesn’t even get suspended if it wasn’t for the taunting.
Well, let’s agree to disagree. Because i think you’re wrong. But whatever. #FreeJuJu
Care to explain why you think I’m wrong? Because my opinion is in line with the national analyst’s opinions. Illegal play + taunting an injured player absolutely deserves a suspension. If your opinion is just because you like the Steelers then you need to be more objective.
I kinda did. I️m not a Steelers or Bengals fan. I️m a Saints fan. But i like JuJu, he’s funny and good too. But he should not be suspended. What Iloka did was far worse. JuJu never should have been suspended in the first place. Iloka never should have had his suspension repealed. Facts.
Yes, JuJu is essentially being suspended for unsportsmanlike conduct, which is a 15 yard penalty not a suspension.
Agreed.
So is JuJu suspended for the hit or the taunting? Either way the NFL has set a precedent that hitting helmet to helmet and potentially causing harm won’t get you suspended, picking up a refs flag and throwing into the stands no suspension but if you taunt it’s a suspension. It’s truly ridiculous rationale
JuJu hit Burfict in the chest just like you’re taught. 15 years a for taunting. Iloka was head hunting. When he left his feet using his head as a spear, he knew all he was gonna get was Brown’s head…and that’s what s wanted.
And he had to write, “in sorry for blowing-up a defenseless receiver a second too late,” 100 times.
JuJu suspended and not reduced? No consistency in discipline in the league. Treat them all the same!
Iloka was head-hunting for revenge. It was blatant and he should be suspended for 2 games