It had been an eventful week between Carolina Panthers safety Eric Reid and New England Patriots tight end Benjamin Watson. Things ultimately culminated with an illegal hit during their teams' third preseason game.
Watson took a shot to the head from Reid on Thursday night despite already being down. According to NFL Network's Tom Pelissero, the hit could result in a potential fine:
My understanding is this hit will be evaluated for a potential fine, not a suspension. Reid was fined several times last season, and said he was adding to those to his collusion grievance, which has since been settled.
There is no denying that it was a questionable hit by Reid. Watson was already well on his way down before Reid came in with a shoulder to his head. Although many felt it was malicious, the Panthers' star was seen checking on him after the play.
Interestingly enough, the hit comes after Watson called out Reid on social media for his critical comments of Jay-Z's deal with the NFL. The latter claims that the efforts of the rap mogul and Philadelphia Eagles safety Malcolm Jenkins lack true substance and support for the cause. Watson took to Twitter to disagree with Reid's statements.
Eric Reid has ensured that the hit was not a malicious attempt to get back at Watson, and he will now wait to see the NFL's ruling on the matter. It may seem far-fetched to assume that it was a result of their little social media spat. Regardless, the timing of the whole incident is interesting nonetheless.
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