CLEVELAND — On Thursday, footage captured at a joint practice showed Los Angeles Rams star defensive lineman Aaron Donald swinging a helmet during a scuffle with the Cincinnati Bengals.
Perhaps nobody had a stronger reaction to the incident than Cleveland Browns fans, who were quick to recall the treatment of Myles Garrett after he struck Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Mason Rudolph in the head with a helmet at the end of matchup on Thursday Night Football in 2019.
One day after the incident, the NFL suspended Garrett indefinitely, at a minimum for the final six games of the 2019 season and any potential postseason games. The No. 1 pick of the 2017 NFL Draft was ultimately reinstated the following offseason.
In addition to his punishment from the league, then-23-year-old Garrett also faced no shortage of criticism from opposing fanbases and media members. One day after the incident, ESPN's Adam Schefter infamously referred to the incident as an "assault."
But on Thursday, the reaction to Donald's incident appeared to be much different, with Schefter even poking fun at his own legendary tweet. Former NFL players-turned-ESPN analysts such as Booger McFarland and Ryan Clark who were tough on Garrett also seemed to be quick to defend Donald, stating that it would be dangerous to set a precedent for punishing players for their actions during practices as opposed to games.
According to NBC Sports and ProFootballTalk's Mike Florio, the NFL doesn't have jurisdiction over joint practices, which means that Donald won't be punished for his actions. As one might expect, Browns fans -- and others on social media -- were quick to weigh in on social media, comparing the differences between the treatment of Garrett and Donald.