Terrifying hit that marred Packers-Bears game could result in a suspension thanks to a new rule

NFL Network/NFL

Thursday night’s NFL game between the Green Bay Packers and Chicago Bears was overshadowed by a terrifying hit from Bears linebacker Danny Trevathan on Packers receiver Davante Adams.

In the third quarter, Adams caught a pass in the red zone and was surrounded by several Bears defenders.

As Adams tried to push forward, Trevathan lowered his helmet and launched from the side, landing helmet-to-helmet and snapping Adams’ head back. The hit was so violent, Adams’ mouthpiece went flying.

Here’s the hit:

Adams was taken off the field on a stretcher. He gave the fans a thumbs-up as he left and was taken to a local hospital. The Packers reported that Adams had movement in all extremities.

The hit was a scary reminder of the violence and possible repercussions of football. Now, according to ESPN’s Kevin Seifert, the NFL may be able to take action on Trevathan thanks to a new, sort of zero-tolerance policy. According to Seifert, the new rule that certain hits could result in ejections or suspensions on first offense. Seifert reported that NFL vice president Troy Vincent said the league wanted to eliminate “catastrophic” hits, which fits the bill for what happened to Adams.

According to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, the league is indeed reviewing the play.

Trevathan said after the game that he did not intend to hurt Adams and that he plans to reach out to him. Trevathan also defended himself saying it wasn’t a dirty hit because he’s not a dirty player.

However, regardless of intent, the NFL may need to punish Trevathan to set a precedent. The league has already tried to cut out helmet-to-helmet hits, and Trevathan’s tackle was exactly the type of unnecessary take-down the league is trying to eliminate.