Now that New York Giants kicker Josh Brown has admitted to the physical, verbal and emotional abuse of his ex-wife, some are expressing outrage over the league essentially turning a blind eye.
That includes Baltimore Ravens wide receiver Steve Smith, who didn't mince words with his reaction to the news on Twitter.
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The punishment handed down to Brown by the league—-a one-game suspension—-points to the league's ineptitude on the issue, given the penalties faced by other players for similar infractions. Ray Rice still has not returned to football after a 2014 domestic violence incident involving his then-girlfriend; Former Arizona Cardinals running back Jonathan Dwyer received a three-game suspension for a domestic violence incident involving his wife; Johnny Manziel has yet to be reprimanded stemming from a domestic violence charge back in February; and Greg hardy was suspended 10 games after being found guilty of assaulting an ex-girlfriend.
Meanwhile, the NFL is claiming that when Brown was suspended in August, the charges had already been dropped and his ex-wife was not cooperating with police, which limited how much they could do. The league has also said that, in light of the new evidence, it will "thoroughly review the additional information and determine next steps in the context of the NFL Personal Conduct Policy."