This swing proved costly for one Buffalo Bills player.
The NFL suspended Bills backup offensive lineman Bobby Hart for one game on Tuesday, a day after he took a swing at a Titans player and instead struck a Tennessee coach in the head following a 41-7 win.
Hart, who played the first three seasons of his career with the New York Giants, was suspended without pay for unsportsmanlike conduct and won’t be eligible to rejoin the team until after Buffalo plays at Miami on Sunday. The league did not reveal the identities of the Titans player or coach.
The 28-year-old has the right to appeal the decision reached by Jon Runyan, the league’s vice president of football operations.
In a letter sent to Hart, Runyan said the altercation happened near the end zone as both teams were leaving the field. Runyan said Hart sought out a Titans player and had to be held back by a coach as other players shook hands in the end zone near the stadium tunnel leading to the teams’ locker rooms.
The veteran Hart, who is then accused of closing his fist and throwing a punch which struck the unidentified Titans’ coach.
“Your aggressive conduct could have caused serious injury, and clearly does not reflect the high standards of sportsmanship expected of a professional,” Runyan wrote.
Hart is an eighth-year player who is familiar with the Titans after appearing in three games with Tennessee last season. He was waived by Tennessee in November and then claimed by the Bills. Hart also played three season with the Giants (2015-2017) and the Bengals (2018-2020).
Hart played 17 snaps on Monday, including seven on special teams, and is the primary backup to left guard Rodger Saffold. He will be eligible to return to the Bills’ active roster on Sept. 26 and would be available for the team’s Week 4 matchup against the Baltimore Ravens.
— with AP