:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/65351999/1177918012.jpg.0.jpg)
Cleveland Browns head coach Freddie Kitchens has a bone to pick with the NFL about the treatment of wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr.
During the Browns 40-25 beatdown of the Baltimore Ravens on Sunday, Beckham got into a scuffle with Baltimore cornerback Marlon Humphrey that ultimately ended up with Beckham on the ground being choked by Humphrey:
Humphries choking out OBJ pic.twitter.com/4HSmligXa9
— Main Team (@MainTeamSports) September 29, 2019
The game officials decided to call offsetting personal fouls on Beckham and Humphrey, but somehow came to the conclusion that choking an opposing player was not worthy of an ejection.
Kitchens has had enough and plans to let the NFL office know about it, according to ESPN:
Freddie Kitchens to ESPN’s Sal Paolantonio, on the scuffle between Marlon Humphrey and Odell Beckham: “I saw what you saw. He was getting choked on the ground. They get away with that because it’s Odell. I’m going to be one the phone with Al (Riveron) when I get on the bus.”
— Jake Trotter (@Jake_Trotter) September 29, 2019
It hasn’t been this bad before, but each week Beckham gets held and manhandled by opposing defensive players as much as defensive end Myles Garrett.
For what it is worth, Humphrey apologized to Beckham after the game, according to USA Today:
“I ran into him after the game and apologized, it’s not really the brand of football I really want to represent. When the whistle blows, it’s got to be over with. It got my team a flag and it’s never good when you get a flag. Like I said, it’s not the brand I want to represent, so I was happy I was able to talk to him after the game.”
Nothing will change, however, until the NFL tells its officials that while it may not be fair to expect defensive backs to legally cover Beckham, they need to start enforcing the rules.