The NFL is a brutal business, as Packers offensive lineman Joe Runyan Jr. found out this week.
The third-year player was notified on Saturday of a $5,215 fine for leg-whipping an opponent during Green Bay's 27-22 loss to the Giants in London in Week 5. While that's certainly not out of the ordinary, the purveyor of the bad news was: The letter notifying Runyan of his fine came from none other than his father, Jon Runyan Sr.
The elder Runyan has been the NFL's vice president of football operations since 2016, and is in charge of on-field discipline for the league. He didn't mince words when notifying his son of his infraction vs. New York, either.
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The letter reportedly warned against future infractions — "further offenses will result in an escalation of disciplinary action, up to and including suspension" — and didn't even include any paternal affection for his son.
He signed it, "Sincerely Jon Runyan."
"My dad and I always joked about this happening, but I never thought my style of play would ever warrant what he deemed to be unnecessary roughness, but it happened," the younger Runyan told ESPN's Adam Schefter. "I thought since I left for college, I wouldn't have to deal with him punishing me anymore, but I was wrong about that."
Perhaps that letter will put to bed any notion the elder Runyan conspired to help the Packers in their Week 3 game vs. the Buccaneers — the same week he suspended Tampa Bay receiver Mike Evans for shoving Saints defensive back Marshon Lattimore.
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Jon Runyan Jr. at the time dismissed the notion his father was trying to help him:
"He was just doing his job," Runyan Jr. said. "He's been doing that job for over a half-decade now. It just so happens that we're playing the Buccaneers this week. Everybody's trying to make it this conspiracy theory, which it's not."
Then again, the Packers beat Tampa Bay 14-12 without Evans in the Buccaneers' lineup. So perhaps this was an attempt by the elder Runyan to cover his tracks. Either way, it stands to make for an awkward meeting the next time father and son get together.
