Jarran Reed Suspension Makes NFL Look Even Worse for Not Punishing Tyreek Hill

The NFL announced a controversial decision on Monday, suspending Seattle Seahawks defensive end Jarran Reed for the first six games of the 2019 season. The decision comes after the league conducted an investigation into 2017 allegations that Reed assaulted a female.

Reed was never charged or convicted of assault, but the league office clearly believes the allegations were hefty enough to warrant a suspension.

Simply put, the NFL cannot get out of its own way when it comes to their punishments in domestic violence cases. While Reed's actions may have been deserving of a six-game hiatus, this decision looks nonsensical when compared with the handling of Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Tyreek Hill.

While neither player was charged in their recent domestic violence cases, Hill was caught on tape threatening his girlfriend as they discussed his alleged abuse of their son. "You should be f---in' scared of me too, b----," Hill told her in the chilling recording. Even if Hill provided substantial evidence that cleared him of injuring his son, that is a hugely problematic statement given his domestic violence history.

Yet, Hill was cleared by the NFL. The league announced last week that the receiver will not receive punishment for his words or actions.

These decisions highlight the NFL's ugly recent history of publicly cracking down on domestic violence only when it's convenient for them. While Reed is a talented defensive lineman who broke out with 10.5 sacks last season, he is not the type of star skill position player that single-handedly brings viewers and revenue to the league.

As sad as it is, Tyreek Hill is one of those players. He was one of the game-breakers on the most exciting offense in football last year, and it's clear that the NFL couldn't swallow holding him out this season.

It's unfortunate that the league can't recognize that some things are bigger than football.