The NFL has some explaining to do to David DeCastro.
DeCastro was one of 33 players fined for the events that took place Nov. 14 at FirstEnergy Stadium between the Steelers and Browns. And he's not exactly sure what he should have done differently.
DeCastro was among 26 players fined for "entering the fight area" during a brawl that took place at the end of the game when Steelers quarterback Mason Rudolph and Browns defensive end Myles Garrett became entangled on the ground. Rudolph took exception to Garrett taking him down late and grabbed at the helmet of Garrett. Garrett then got up and ripped the helmet from Rudolph's head when DeCastro got between the two.
Rudolph went back at Garrett and Garrett swung the helmet at Rudolph, hitting him on the head with it. He was then taken to the ground up DeCastro, with center Maurkice Pouncey throwing punches and kicks at the defensive end.
"It's a principle thing," DeCastro told me. "I wasn't trying to escalate anything. I was trying to get him off my quarterback. He started swinging a helmet and I tried to push him back even more and he fell down.
"I was just laying on him trying to break the situation up."
DeCastro was widely lauded for keeping his cool in the hours that followed the fight for not escalating things further. Garrett was suspended for the remainder of the season -- including Sunday's rematch between the two teams at Heinz Field -- while Pouncey received a three-game suspension, which was later reduced to two, and Browns defensive end Larry Ogunjobie was sidelined for one game. Rudolph was also among the players fined, getting a $50,000 penalty.
"I think there's something going on with the NFL, making it a PR, or some BS. It doesn't make any sense to me," said DeCastro, who is appealing his fine, which was announced Saturday.
"My agent is all over it. He's excited about it. It's BS. I can't wait to ask what happened?"
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