For the second week in a row, 49ers safety Donte Whitner is lashing out at the NFL over a penalty he received for a hit to an opposing player.
Whitner was called for unnecessary roughness for a hit on Rams wide receiver Chris Givens on Thursday, and on Friday Whitner said that penalty was a ridiculous call when all he was trying to do was knock the ball out of a receiver’s hands, as that receiver was leaping for a pass in the end zone.
“I think I’m just supposed to let them catch a touchdown now,” Whitner said on SiriusXM NFL Radio, via the San Francisco Chronicle. “I think that’s what the National Football League wants, but I’m not going to give them that. I’m going to continue to play physical, continue to hit the right way, lead with my shoulder, and I’m not targeting anybody’s head.”
Last week Whitner complained that his penalty for a hit on Colts running back Ahmad Bradshaw was a bad call, and the NFL agreed, confirming this week that the penalty flag shouldn’t have been thrown. We’ll see with the hit on Givens whether the NFL once again admits the officials screwed up, or whether the NFL will hit Whitner’s paycheck as hard as Whitner hits opposing players.
