Earl Thomas' helmet hit on Mason Rudolph was easily one of the scariest hits of the season, so it's understandable why the league hit him with a hefty fine for his hit.
The Baltimore Raven defensive back revealed to ESPN's Jamison Hensley that he was hit with a $21,000 fine for the hit that sent the Pittsburgh Steelers QB to the ground. His helmet hit Rudolph on the chin and sent him to the ground.
Steelers fans instantly became nervous when he wasn't able to immediately respond, and their second-year QB had to be taken off the field when their carts malfunctioned.
He is currently put on concussion protocol and wasn't made to practice for the entire week. Finally, he was declared unfit to play on Friday and will be replaced by Devlin Hodges for their Week 6 duel against the Los Angeles Chargers.
Thomas–a safety who spent his entire career with the Seattle Seahawks before playing with the Steelers this season–insists that he didn't mean his hit on Rudolph. He reportedly sent the QB a message to let him know that the hit wasn't on purpose. He apparently heard nothing from him.
Ravens coach John Harbaugh also gave his support to his defender.
“I see Earl trying to pull off. There's no question about it when you watch the tape,” Harbaugh said. “He goes in there, and as he gets close, he's running to the ball. Mason is scrambling and going, and [Thomas] is running to the ball, playing fast, and he tries to pull out. It's clear. So I respect him for that. It's just an unfortunate collision.”
The 30-year-old should be able to play against the Cincinnati Bengals, but eyes will be locked on him. He has to be careful to avoid another Rudolph incident from happening.
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