Report: Browns' Garrett says precedent doesn't support suspension

Cleveland Browns defensive end Myles Garrett appealed his suspension for his on-field conduct on Wednesday, stating in his hearing that precedent doesn't support his indefinite ban, ESPN reported. Citing a source, ESPN's Dan Graziano said Garrett and representatives from the players union argued in an appeal hearing in New York that a player involved in a similar incident in 2013 received only a three-game suspension.

The NFL suspended Garrett on Friday, just 12 hours after he took Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Mason Rudolph's helmet and hit Rudolph in the head with it in Cleveland's 21-7 win. But in the hearing, Graziano reported, Garrett and his team likened the action to what happened in a 2013 preseason game when Houston's Antonio Smith swung his helmet at offensive lineman Richie Incognito, who then played for the Miami Dolphins.

Smith, a defensive end who was out of the league after the 2016 season, was suspended for two preseason games and one regular-season game. Garrett also argued in the meeting that Smith only missed one game check since players don't receive preseason pay, Graziano reported. Players' pay is based on the 16-game regular season. Garrett has been suspended without pay for at least six regular-season games and any playoff games the Browns might play in this season.

He will need to meet with league officials and apply for reinstatement before he can play in 2020 under the grounds of the suspension. The suspension is the longest in NFL history for a single in-game incident.

Graziano also reported that Steelers center Maurkice Pouncey, who was suspended three games for his role in the fight, had his appeal heard on Tuesday. He contended that no on-field fight ever has brought a suspension longer than one game. 

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)