NFL world upset over Browns' Ronnie Harrison being fined for shoving incident with Greg Lewis

Published Sep 19, 2021 20:47 GMT

It may have only been Week 1 of the 2021 NFL season, but tempers flared between the Kansas City Chiefs and Cleveland Browns. It was seen during the game that Browns' defensive back Ronnie Harrison got into a physical altercation with Chiefs coach Greg Lewis.

When punishments were and weren't handed out this week, there were opinions all around the NFL about how the league chose to handle the situation.

Browns' Ronnie Harrison fined for altercation with Chiefs coach

After the completion of each week of play, the National Football League hands down fines for behavior from the week prior. Browns defensive back Ronnie Harrison was fined $12,128 for his part in the altercation with Greg Lewis.

Meanwhile, Greg Lewis wasn't fined, but instead just warned, for his participation in the incident where there was pushing and shoving. Greg Lewis believed Harrison was intentionally stepping on Chiefs running back Clyde Edwards-Helaire at the end of a play in which he made an 11-yard catch from Patrick Mahomes. Lewis took matters into his own hands and was also a participant in the altercation, but the punishments didn't fit the behavior.

Initially, Ronnie Harrison was ejected from the game. The Kansas City Chiefs bench called for unsportsmanlike conduct, but it was then reversed.

The NFL sent a reminder memo to everyone in the league, reminding them that all staff on the sidelines during games are prohibited from getting into any altercations/arguments with members of the opposing team, referees and anyone hired and representing the NFL.

That didn't stop NFL Twitter from having something to say about it, calling for the NFL to be fair about their handing down of punishments.

The NFL ruling is sure to set a precedent for how in-game referees and the league will handle this from here on out. However, if a player is being ejected from a game and then fined, while a member of the coaching staff doesn't receive a penalty, fine, or any punishments for that matter, there should be a conversation about how the situation will be handled in the future.

Right now it stands that Harrison will appeal his fine and Lewis will continue with the verbal and written warning he was issued by the National Football League.

About the author

Bethany Cohen is an NFL writer at Sportskeeda, with a rich prior 15-year experience in the sports writing industry, primarily covering the MLB and MiLB. She majored in Communications from the University of South Florida and has previously worked for top companies such as Examiner.com and Legends on Deck.

Bethany owes her NFL allegiance to the Pittsburgh Steelers owing to their long-standing tradition and competitiveness. She is a fan of old stalwarts such as Terry Bradshaw and Franco Harris and would love to watch them in the 1970s if she manages to get her hand on a time machine. She also acknowledges the greatness of modern icons like T.J. Watt for his desire to continuously improve despite being on top. She admires coaches Mike Tomlin and Andy Reid for their longevity and success.

The ace reporter credits her knowledge and love for the sport to be her biggest reporting strengths. Prior fact-checking is a big component of her process and she always scours through additional sources to ensure complete accuracy in her content.

Super Bowl XLIII, when the Steelers won the the grand prize after Santonio Holmes’ epic catch in the end zone with just seconds left on the clock is etched in Bethany’s memory forever. When she is free of her professional commitments, she likes to attend sports events and music concerts.

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