Source: Haynesworth to receive suspension, fine

	The NFL will hand out one of the stiffest punishments in its history to Albert Haynesworth after he stomped on the head of the Cowboys' Andre Gurode. AP

In what likely will be an unprecedented punishment in terms of size and scope, a league source told SI.com Monday that the NFL is preparing to swiftly hand down both a multigame suspension and a hefty fine against Tennessee defensive tackle Albert Haynesworth, who stomped on the head of Dallas offensive lineman Andre Gurode in the second quarter of the Cowboys' 45-14 win Sunday. Gurode required 30 stitches to close a gash above his left eye and suffered partially blurred vision.

A suspension and fine for Haynesworth could be announced by the league as soon as late Monday, the source said, although it more likely will come on Tuesday, the traditional day within the NFL week that teams make roster maneuvers. The league is said to be acting quickly in part to be sensitive to the Titans' roster considerations, a sure sign that Haynesworth is headed for a suspension of some length. Tennessee could replace Haynesworth on its active roster during the length of the suspension.

The league source said the NFL will mete out both the suspension and the fine rather than allow the Titans to handle the suspension portion of the penalty.

"This goes beyond the club disciplining one player,'' the source said. "This is a league matter and will be handled by the league on both ends. Given the egregious nature of the incident, it's a fair assumption to make that it'll be an unprecedented [punishment]. I'm not sure there is a precedent for a transgression of this nature. I don't think we've seen anything like this in the NFL.

"You've got to make sure you're following the collective bargaining agreement, with the processes and procedures that have been agreed to. But you're talking about a player who almost had his eye gouged out. If this were NHL hockey in Canada, you could have had charges pressed against [Haynesworth]. That's happened up there in the past few years or so. This was pretty gruesome. The hammer is going to come down.''

When asked if new NFL commissioner Roger Goodell intended to make a strong statement in regard to the size of Haynesworth's penalty, given the barbaric nature of Haynesworth's willful and intentional malice and in light of his complete acknowledgement of guilt, the source said Goodell and the league would not be lenient.

"The importance of player safety is clear,'' the source said. "But this is not just about players strictly abiding by the rules of the game. It gets to issues of common decency and sportsmanship. 'Barbaric' is a good word for this incident. This was that kind of event.''

Haynesworth was ejected from the game by referee Jerome Boger, drawing one personal-foul penalty for stomping on Gurode and another for slamming his helmet to the turf as he walked angrily off the field. Later, in the Titans' locker room, he apologized profusely for his actions.

"What I did was disgusting," he said. "It's something that should never happen. I mean, I'm not a dirty player. I don't play dirty. I have respect for the game. What I feel like is I disgraced the game, disgraced my team and disgraced my last name.''