On Saturday, Minnesota Vikings safety Harrison Smith was fined $21,855 for a hit that he placed on Los Angeles Chargers wide receiver Keenan Allen. The fine was reported by ESPN’s Kevin Seifert.
In his tweet reporting the hit, Seifert included a clip of the reported hit, which directly shows that Harrison led with his head.
Buy Vikings Tickets#Vikings S Harrison Smith was fined $21,855 for what the NFL said was unnecessary roughness on this hit last Sunday. Amount corresponds to first offense of impermissible use of helmet, aka the "helmet rule." Wasn't penalized in the game, but NFL aggressively issues fines for it. pic.twitter.com/WsNWODWBTu
— Kevin Seifert (@SeifertESPN) September 30, 2023
This has become a point of emphasis for the NFL this season, as they are trying to reduce the amount of head injuries in the sport.
The fines have been large so far this season, including Pittsburgh Steelers running back Jaylen Warren incurring a fine that was nearly an entire game check.
The amounts don’t seem to be consistent at the moment, but how much they are varied are likely attributed to how the player uses his helmet on the hit. Smith has the opportunity to appeal the fine if he so chooses.
Fines will become a common occurrence and likely won’t be stopping anytime soon.
