New England Patriots superstar tight end Rob Gronkowski made headlines for all the wrong reasons in Week 13 with his dirty hit on Buffalo Bills cornerback Tre'Davious White. The cheap shot by “Gronk” understandably triggered major backlash on social media; however, it was magnified by the fact that he only received a one-game suspension for concussing White.

Although he expressed remorse soon thereafter, Gronkowski surprisingly decided to try and appeal the ruling. According to ESPN NFL Insider Adam Schefter, the NFL upheld his one-game suspension:

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The decision means that Gronkowski will be unavailable for their AFC East showdown with the Miami Dolphins on Monday Night this week. Furthermore, it also confirms the league's disapproval of his inexcusable actions.

However, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell still received scathing criticism for the similar punishment handed down to Pittsburgh Steelers rookie wide receiver Juju Smith-Schuster, who was also suspended for one game. Contrary to Gronkowski's cheap shot, Smith-Schuster's devastating hit on Cincinnati Bengals linebacker Vontaze Burfict happened during a live play.

Regardless of the decision to uphold Gronkowski's suspension, some pundits feel his punishment should have been much more severe. Although attempting to appeal such suspensions is a normal course of action for most players, Gronkowski's decision to do so amidst all the fallout was bizarre, to say the least.