Poll: Did NFL get it right with George Iloka suspension for hit on Antonio Brown?

The Cincinnati Bengals are still feeling the sting of Monday’s loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers.

The latest loss comes in the form of an unexpected suspension to George Iloka. The starting safety was suspended one game for his illegal hit on Steelers receiver Antonio Brown, which came late in the fourth quarter.

There’s really no debating as to whether the hit was dirty or not. The question is, was it deserved?

Iloka has enjoyed a relatively clean career with the Bengals. He’s had an occasional personal foul, as most defenders do, but not to the degree that he should have been in danger of a suspension in the same way someone like Vontaze Burfict is.

According to Spotrac, Iloka has just two fines from the NFL in his six-year career. His record is about as clean as you’ll find in an NFL defender who’s been a full-time starter for the last five seasons.

Now, some will argue that Iloka deserves the same suspension that JuJu Smith-Schuster got. However, the difference between the two players is Iloka simply walked away after his foul, whereas Juju celebrated and embraced his big hit on Vontaze Burfict.

In the NFL’s suspension notice to Juju, they even cited that celebration as part of the reason he was being suspended. That’s something Iloka did not do, so it’s not fair to think he and Juju deserve the same suspension.

Oh, and lest we forget that was the kind of hit that Steelers safety Mike Mitchell inflicts on a routine basis, yet he’s never been suspended.

So, we’ll ask you: Did the NFL get this one right?