Buffalo Bills OL Bobby Hart suspended one game following post-game incident

Buffalo Bills backup offensive lineman Bobby Hart has been suspended one game by the NFL for unsportsmanlike conduct following the conclusion of Monday night’s 41-7 win by the Bills over the Tennessee Titans.

Hart was suspended for violating the league’s unsportsmanlike conduct rules, and is accused of throwing a punch at a member of the Titans that missed the player, striking a member of the Tennessee coaching staff in the head instead.

According to former offensive lineman Jon Runyan, the NFL’s Vice President of Football Operations, Hart is accused of going after an unnamed player on the Titans as both teams were heading to the tunnel after Buffalo prevailed in its home opener.

“You walked directly across the field to seek out your opponent. You approached him near the end zone and a coach had to hold you back as others shook hands. Once you and your opponent were in the end zone near the tunnel, you confronted him and immediately swung at him with a closed fist, striking the head of a Tennessee coach. Your aggressive conduct could have caused serious injury and clearly does not reflect the high standards of sportsmanship expected of a professional,” Runyan said in a press release issued by the NFL.

Hart, who must sit out Buffalo’s Week 3 road game against the Miami Dolphins, is eligible to return to Buffalo’s active roster on Monday, Sept. 26. Hart does have the right to appeal the suspension.

Through Buffalo’s first two games, Hart has been on the field for 19 total offensive snaps and 12 snaps on special teams. He was with the offense for 17 snaps during the win over the Titans, adding seven more snaps on special teams.

Hart, in his eighth season in the NFL, was signed to Buffalo’s practice squad last year after bouncing around the Dolphins and Titans’ practice squads. This offseason, the team and Hart agreed on a one-year contract extension.