The NFL has levied a large punishment on Detroit Lions young wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown for his behavior in last week’s game against the Chicago Bears, in what can only be described as a perplexing decision. The $43,709 fine was assessed for a block that happened in the first quarter, while the Lions were down 7-0.
The street where St. Brown was cited for “lowering his head” to initiate contact has raised a few eyebrows. When you view the footage of the play, it’s evident that St. Brown was using a typical blocking approach. There was no obvious malice or flagrant violation of safety rules. It was the type of block that occurs frequently in any given game.
Not only running backs: the NFL penalized #Lions WR Amon-Ra St. Brown $43,709 for this block against Chicago last week.
St. Brown is dressed in No. 14. The league has been cracking down on head lowering.
What makes this fine particularly egregious is the financial burden it places on St. Brown. With an annual base salary of just $940,000, translating to about $55,294 per game, this fine eats up a whopping 79% of his game check. For a player not on a blockbuster contract, such a fine is not just a slap on the wrist; it’s a significant financial hit. This raises questions about the fairness and proportionality of fines levied by the NFL, especially against players who aren’t among the top earners in the league.
An Overreach by the NFL?
This incident with St. Brown may well reignite the debate over the NFL’s disciplinary measures and their consistency. It’s one thing to enforce rules to ensure player safety, which is paramount, but another to hand out punishments that seem disproportionate to the infraction, especially when the action in question is part of the rough-and-tumble nature of football. There’s a fine line between maintaining the integrity and safety of the game and overly penalizing players for actions that are part and parcel of the sport.
Leave a Reply