How Should the NFL Punish Additional Players Caught in Sam Hurd Drug Bust?

In case you haven't heard, Chicago Bears wide receiver Sam Hurd was arrested last night on charges that he was a major drug trafficker in the Chicago area. The 26-year-old receiver was apparently looking to distribute as much as five kilograms of cocaine and 1,000 pounds of marijuana per week.

One of the big bombshells to come out of this case is that fact that police claim to have a list of NFL players Hurd distributed to and that list is in "double digits." If that indeed proves to be the case, the league must act swiftly to punish those involved.

While suggesting a blanket suspension for any players involved would be ludicrous without knowing details, the league has to send a strong message that it will not tolerate its players being involved in drug trafficking or using.

Hurd is certainly going to be the face of this thing, and I expect commissioner Roger Goodell to come out and swiftly issue an indefinite suspension from the league for him. But if it turns out any other players were involved in distribution, they should not get the same type of punishment as guys who do dangerous things on the field.

This is real life stuff; people get hurt and even killed because of this kind of thing in the real world. The NFL needs to send a message that this kind of thing will not be tolerated.

Hurd's actions have likely ended any future he had in the league, and there is a good chance anyone associated with him will suffer the same fate.