The NFL’s disciplinary process has once again come down hard on a player for an infraction that the officials on the field didn’t see as a penalty.
This time it’s Lions wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown, who was fined $43,709 for a hit that the league referred to as unnecessary roughness. It was by far the stiffest fine handed out by the NFL for Week 11.
On the play in question, a running play, St. Brown was blocking downfield when he hit Bears safety Jaquan Brisker. It was a hard collision and there was helmet contact, but it was far from the most vicious hit you’ll ever see on a football field. It looked like a fairly ordinary block.
The NFL players’ union has complained that league-imposed fines are often excessive and inconsistent, and this is one that St. Brown is sure to appeal. It’s a very big fine for a play that didn’t appear to warrant it.