NFL’s suspension of Rob Gronkowski upheld for hit on Tre'Davious White

The NFL made the right decision today with arbiter Derrick Brooks upholding the one-game suspension of New England Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski. Gronk was suspended by the NFL for his blindside cheap shot to Buffalo Bills cornerback Tre’Davious White late in the fourth quarter of Sunday’s 23-3 win by the Patriots.

The resulting hit by Gronkowski, who had been battling White all game long, came immediately after White came away with an interception of a Tom Brady pass intended for Gronkowski with 4:50 remaining in the fourth, and New England leading 23-3.

As White was lying face-down on the turf at New Era Field, Gronkowski shuffled his feet several times as he moved towards White. He left his feet and delivered a late hit with his shoulder on White, driving his arm into the back of White’s helmet.

While Gronkowski received a 15-yard unnecessary roughness penalty, he was not ejected from the game.

"Your actions were not incidental, could have been avoided and placed the opposing player at risk of serious injury. The Competition Committee has clearly expressed its goal of 'eliminating flagrant hits that have no place in our game.' Those hits include the play you were involved in yesterday," vice president of football operations Jon Runyan wrote in the letter to Gronkowski to inform him of his suspension on Monday. Brooks agreed on Tuesday.

As a result of Gronkowski’s hit, White, Buffalo’s talented first-round draft pick, is in the league’s concussion protocol.

This is the first NFL suspension for Gronkowski, who was drafted in the second round by the Patriots during the 2010 draft.