Brian Baldinger Suspended by NFL Network for Ezekiel Elliott Bounty Comments

NFL Network has suspended analyst Brian Baldinger for six months without pay after his inappropriate comments concerning Dallas Cowboys running back Ezekiel Elliott, Michael David Smith of Pro Football Talk reported Wednesday.

Speaking with 97.5 The Fanatic last week, Baldinger said the Philadelphia Eagles should attempt to injure the rookie in their Week 8 battle.

"This is the guy that that we’ve got to hurt," Baldinger said (via Smith). "This is the guy that we’ve got to take out of the game. There’s got to be 10 guys that want to hurt him every single play. In fact, we may even put a little bounty on Ezekiel Elliott."

"The punishment doesn't fit the crime," Baldinger said, per Matt Lombardo of NJ.com.

Elliott finished Sunday's game with 96 rushing yards and 52 receiving yards in a 29-23 overtime victory. The rookie leads the NFL with 799 rushing yards.

While bounty systems may have been common when Baldinger played as an offensive guard in the NFL from 1982 to 1993, the league has done its best to eradicate attempts to intentionally injure players.

New Orleans Saints head coach Sean Payton was suspended for a full season as part of harsh teamwide punishments stemming from a bounty scandal in which coaches and teammates offered players money for injuring opponents.

Elliott escaped Sunday's game unharmed while leading his team to a big win.