Ravens safety Earl Thomas felt terrible about knocking out Steelers quarterback Mason Rudolph today.
Thomas said after the game that he wasn’t trying to hit Rudolph in the head and hated seeing him unconscious on the ground.
“I hit the strike zone like we talk about,” Thomas said, via Jamison Hensley of ESPN. “I didn’t go high. I didn’t intentionally try to hurt him. I’m worried about him. I heard he’s at the hospital. My prayers go out to him and his family. I’ve never tried to hurt anybody.”
Thomas was flagged for the hit and will likely be fined for it as well. He certainly didn’t mean to send Rudolph to the hospital, but the NFL has made clear that defensive players need to avoid quarterbacks’ heads, and will be held accountable if they don’t.
