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New Orleans Saints' backfield superstar Alvin Kamara could be hit with a six-game suspension. Prior to last season's Pro Bowl, Kamara hit the town in Sin City and landed in a bit of hot water.
Police allegedly have surveillance footage of Kamara and two friends punching a person repeatedly, knocking him unconscious and breaking his eye socket in the process. He is currently facing felony battery charges, with his court case scheduled for August.
His actions will likely see him fall foul of the NFL's personal conduct policy, meaning a period on the sidelines should be forthcoming. Naturally, in the current climate, news of Kamara's impeding suspension has sparked a furious response from fans on Twitter.
Unsurprisingly, the name at the forefront of everyone’s mind was Deshaun Watson. Fans were quick to point out that if Kamara gets a six-game suspension, Watson's sanction should be much more severe.
For reference, the Cleveland Browns quarterback was hit with 24 lawsuits alleging sexual misconduct. He settled 20 of them, but an NFL investigation into his actions is ongoing.
One fan suggested that Kamara should be thanking Watson for stealing the spotlight away from the running back.
Others appeared supportive of the running back's pending suspension, suggesting that he would be lucky to only get six games after punching a person so hard he broke their eye socket:
The NFL head office has also come in for some strong criticism for allowing him to take part in the Pro Bowl despite being aware of the arrest and possible charges.
NFL's personal conduct policy and previous suspensions
The NFL likes to give off the impression of transparency, fairness and consistency, but the structure of disciplinary procedures allows the league and Commissioner Roger Goodell the autonomy to effectively do what they want.
One area where the league has managed to remain consistent is in relation to players getting caught gambling. Over the past three years, both Josh Shaw and Calvin Ridley have been busted for betting on games that they were not involved in.
The league acted swiftly, banning both for a period of 12 months. Shaw was reinstated in March 2020 but has never played again, while Ridley is eligible to return in February 2023.
In 2017, Dallas Cowboys running back Ezekiel Elliott was hit with a six-game suspension. After an NFL review that lasted 12 months, the investigator recommended that no suspension was required for Elliott.
Despite this, Goodell made the decision to ban Elliott following multiple accusations of domestic violence against the running back, although no charges were ever brought against him.
In all likelihood, Kamara will be banned for multiple games, although exactly how many is up for debate.
