Okay.
What about QB who tried, but failed, to rip the helmet off Garrett? Is an 8 game suspension fair. The QB was ultimately the instigator. If he hadnt grabbed Garretts face mask I dont think anything else would have happened?
I agree that it looks like Rudolph started it by attempting to take off Garrett’s helmet first, and if Garrett had simply stopped after taking off Rudolph’s helmet, then I don’t think it would have been such a big deal. But Garrett went on to use the helmet as a weapon to strike Rudolph in the head, escalating the violence by an order of magnitude. I think some game suspensions are in order for Garrett. Yes, the fact that Rudolph appeared to start the altercation should be a factor in determining the number of suspended games, but only a slight factor IMO.
So why did he try to pull off his helmet. I havent seen a clip of the initial contact. Did he spear him with his helmet. Since Garrett has a history of dirty deeds on the football field, could he have been the original instigator?