The NFL have suspended Buffalo Bills offensive lineman Bobby Hart after he allegedly punched a Tennessee Titans coach in the head during their clash on Monday night.
The Bills - deemed by many to be the favourites to win Super Bowl LVII - crushed the Titans on Monday Night Football, with Josh Allen throwing for 317 yards and four touchdowns in a 41-7 rout. It means Buffalo are now 2-0 on the season while Tennessee have slipped from the being the number one seed in the AFC a year ago to 0-2.
As a result of their disappointing start to the season, there have been calls for head coach Mike Vrabel - who won Coach of the Year last season - to make changes to his coordinators. It appears Hart has joined fans in taking a dislike to Titans staff members as he reportedly struck a coach during the win on Monday.
On Tuesday, the NFL announced Hart had received a one-game ban. The league announced Hart’s suspension in a memo that included a letter from NFL Vice President of Football Operations Jon Runyan addressed to the offensive guard.
According to Runyan, Hart sought out an unnamed Titans player near the tunnel after the match had ended at Highmark Stadium. Hart reportedly then swung at the player and instead hit an unnamed and unwitting Titans coach in the head. Runyan’s letter reads: “As both teams were heading to the tunnel, you walked directly across the field to seek out your opponent.
“You approached him near the end zone and a coach had to hold you back as others shook hands. Once you and your opponent were in the end zone near the tunnel, you confronted him and immediately swung at him with a closed fist, striking the head of a Tennessee coach.
“Your aggressive conduct could have caused serious injury and clearly does not reflect the high standards of sportsmanship expected of a professional.”
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Hart is banned for Sunday’s AFC East showdown against the unbeaten Miami Dolphins after he was found to have breached the NFL’s unsportsmanlike conduct rules. He’ll be eligible to return to Bills practice after the match.
The 28-year-old will reportedly appeal the suspension. Per the terms of the most recent collective bargaining agreement, the appeal will be heard by an officer jointly agreed upon by the NFL and NFLPA.
Hart is a reserve guard for the Bills. He was selected in the seventh round of the 2015 NFL Draft by the New York Giants and was a member of the Titans practice squad last season before the Bills signed him in November.
Prior to this season, Hart played in 83 NFL games - including 67 starts over eight seasons for the Giants, Cincinnati Bengals, Titans and Bills.
