Following the Arizona Cardinals’ loss to the New York Jets on Sunday, it was confirmed that there was an on-field incident between Cardinals linebacker Darnell Dockett and safety Kerry Rhodes that will likely lead to disciplinary action. Head coach Ken Whisenhunt said the team was not going to discuss the matter publicly, but some of the dirty details emerged on Monday night.
A source with knowledge of what occurred reportedly told Pro Football Talk that Dockett spat in Rhodes’ face while the two were having a disagreement. With the Jets leading 7-6 late in the fourth quarter, the Cardinals were planning to allow New York to score to make it a 14-6 game and give themselves a chance to get the ball back, score a touchdown, convert a two-point conversion and send the game to overtime.
However, Dockett reportedly had no interest in allowing the Jets to score. This led to Rhodes trying to convince him buy in, which in turn led to the alleged loogie.
We have heard of players spitting in opponents faces during games before, but this is a first for it happening among teammates. Based on some of the stuff Rex Ryan has said about Rhodes in the past, you can understand how someone might get frustrated with him. But in this situation it sounds like Dockett was the one being difficult. If the story is true the team should suspend him.
