Don’t get Amon-Ra St. Brown wrong.
The Detroit Lions wide receiver appreciates what the NFL is trying to do from a player safety standpoint — and understands what they’re doing — but it shouldn’t be at the expense of his wallet. And once you see the fine, you may agree with St. Brown’s words, or as one would describe it “excessive.”
St. Brown was fined $43,709 for a block that wasn’t flagged by the officials on the field — and didn’t appear to be overly dangerous to the naked eye. However, the league had other ideas, docking St. Brown for what transpired in the video clip below.
It’s not just running backs: The NFL fined #Lions WR Amon-Ra St. Brown $43,709 for this block last week against Chicago.
St. Brown is wearing No. 14 here. The league has been cracking down on lowering the head to initiate contact. pic.twitter.com/8vJ5MLgeK4
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) November 25, 2023
St. Brown’s wallet is the latest victim of the NFL cracking down on hits, in which players lower their helmets to initiate contact.
“It is a lot of money, but I guess, you know, the way I block wasn’t legal,” St. Brown said, via MLive.com. “They said it was like forcible contact to the head. Like I said, I just got to be better. But there are still rules that have to be followed in the game, and we got to try our best to follow those. But, yeah, I mean, I feel like $43,000 for what I did was quite a lot. But it’s fine. I’m going to appeal it, we’ll see what happens.”
St. Brown was frustrated by the hefty fine, but pleased to see NFL prioritizing player safety. However, he believes there should be a balance.
“I’m on the offensive side of the ball. I’m not complaining too much,” St. Brown said. “We’re the ones that have to take the hits. It’s really rare that we get to deliver blows. If I was a defender, I would probably be saying ‘yeah’ to you, but as an offensive player, I don’t mind it. I go across the middle. They’re trying to protect us [and] I’m all for it.”
[PFT]
