When Raiders receiver Davante Adams was caught on camera showing an ESPN employee to the ground after a Monday night loss to the Chiefs last October, it wasn’t immediately clear whether he’d be suspended under the normal procedures for in-game misconduct or whether the league would defer to the Personal Conduct Policy.
It soon became clear that the league would be treating the incident not as something that happened during a game, but as something that falls under the rules regarding off-field misconduct.
Now that the criminal case against Adams has been closed, the league quite possibly will take up the question of whether Adams should be punished.
Whether there’s a consequence shouldn’t be a question. The issue is whether Adams’s behavior justifies a suspension. And it could move fairly quickly, with Adams summoned for a meeting with the league followed by the activation of the formal hearing process, followed by an appeal.
The pending civil lawsuit likely won’t deter the league from proceeding. There’s no mystery in this one. It happened on camera. Everyone saw it.
Presumably, the NFL made a tentative decision months ago regarding the proper punishment, delaying it until the criminal case ended. Now that the assault charge has been dismissed, the league can activate its in-house justice system.
