After the game, when the teams were crammed in the middle of the field on their way to the locker room, Gregory and Aboushi exchanged words with their helmets on, and Gregory punched Aboushi in the helmet. The hat responded with a punch of its own.
In a letter sent to players on Monday, NFL vice president of football operations John Lunyan said, “As you were walking towards a group of teammates, coaches and media, you stopped and , swinging each other’s heads and necks. Your aggressive behavior could cause serious injury and clearly does not reflect the high standards of sportsmanship expected of a professional.”
Gregory and Abousi are eligible to return to their respective teams on January 2nd. Players can appeal the suspension, but it’s an option Abousi will take, Rams coach Sean McVay said Monday.
Sunday was Gregory’s second time playing since injuring his knee in Week 4. He signed his five-year, $70 million deal in the offseason, but was limited to six games.
The post-match skirmish capped a game of undisciplined moments for Gregory. He was pulled from the game twice by coach Nathaniel Hackett. The first was when Gregory was flagged after throwing his helmet after a Rams touchdown, and then when he was flagged for a late hit to Rams quarterback Baker Mayfield.
“After that second time, we fired him. It’s unacceptable,” said Hackett, who was fired on Monday.
“I want to know if I punched him in the mouth,” Gregory said after the match.
This report used information from ESPN’s Jeff Legwold.