Cleveland Browns linebacker Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah has been one of the brightest young stars in the league this season but was handed a $20,900 fine for unnecessary roughness by lowering the helmet during a tackle attempt, according to NFL’s Tom Pelissero.
The play occurred early in the second quarter in the team’s 20-16 loss last Sunday to the Philadelphia Eagles. Eagles running back Saquon Barkley was fined more than double that, $45,020, for the same infraction in the same game.
This is the first fine for Owusu-Koramoah in his four-year professional career so there should be little question if this was intentional or out of habit, but rather an unfortunate incident.
Luckily no one was hurt as a result of the play, Owusu-Koramoah logged his second full 100 percent snap count game of the season against the Eagles and so far has only had one game with less than 98 percent of defensive snaps.
The fine comes as part of the league’s aggressive approach in attempting to eliminate lowering the helmet either when making a tackle or when a ball carrier attempts to truck a defender.
