In the first few weeks of the 2018 season, there has been a greater sense of attention made toward the officiating toward player safety that has drawn much scrutiny.
With that in mind, the NFL has made the decision to fine Kansas City Chiefs star running back Kareem Hunt $26,700 for lowering his helmet on a play during last Monday's 27-23 win over the Denver Broncos, according to Michael David Smith of Pro Football Talk.
Chiefs running back Kareem Hunt committed a textbook violation of the rule on Monday night against the Broncos, and he’s been fined for it.
The NFL fined Hunt $26,739 for unnecessary roughness, Tom Pelissero of NFL Network reports.
This assessment was made through the new “lowering the helmet” rule that the league has implemented this season to help provide more player safety. It is the first time that an offensive player has been fined for this type of penalty as it has been largely penalized for defensive players attempting to make a tackle. However, it was Hunt that made the decision to lower his helmet as he went head first to break a tackle.
It is a difficult rule to access, but there was clear evidence that Hunt had fallen under that infraction as he put the crown of his helmet in the defender's chest. This is a letter of the law type of rule that the NFL is trying to assess in both manners in order to ensure that it is fairly called while being carried out properly.
At the same time, it is something that the league hopes will push its players to adjust accordingly by moving away from this instinctual moves that have been taught for several decades. This decision could also set the standard for teams to abide by moving forward for the rest of this season.
Follow Us
Subscribe