You would think that with all the reaction to Myles Garrett using Mason Rudolph’s own helmet to bash the Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback on the head that this was something unprecedented and unaccounted for in the NFL rulebook.
As we pointed out earlier on Friday, this isn’t completely unprecedented … and there’s actually specific language about it in the NFL’s rules.
Rule 12 in the rulebook covers “player conduct” and all the way down to Article 17, there it is: “Use of helmet as a weapon.”
“A player may not use a helmet that is no longer worn by anyone as a weapon to strike, swing at, or throw at an opponent,” it reads. And the penalty?
For illegal use of a helmet as a weapon: Loss of 15 yards and automatic disqualification. If the foul is by the defense, it is also an automatic first down.
That’s basically what happened, save for the first down. Garrett was indeed disqualified.
There’s nothing in there about suspensions, but of course, we know that’s up to the discretion of the league and its commissioner.
