If you remember nothing else while playing in an NFL game, remember that you cannot make contact with a referee. Detroit Lions linebacker Jamie Collins will likely remember that a bit better after he was ejected on Sunday while demonstrating a helmet hit.
The Lions were playing the Chicago Bears when, with 12:24 left in the second quarter, Collins appeared to approach referee Alex Kemp following a play to demonstrate how Bears running back David Montgomery was lowering his helmet on a run. He did so by lowering his helmet and making contact with the ref in the chest, brushing him back slightly. Oof.
Lions LB Jamie Collins was ejected after making contact with an official with his helmet. pic.twitter.com/yvSAH5lwZ7
— FOX Sports: NFL (@NFLonFOX) September 13, 2020
However lightly and unintentionally, it’s the textbook definition of “the rule’s the rule.” Collins was flagged for unsportsmanlike conduct and was ejected from the game for making contact with an official.
Adding insult to injury, this was Collins’ first game with the Lions. He had played pretty well so far, as well, with three tackles, a quarterback hit, and a pass defended in the 19 plays he was on the field for. But that extra hit on the ref is the one that cost him.
For what it’s worth, Collins’ agent didn’t agree with the call.
https://twitter.com/davidcanter/status/1305202523326820352
[Fox Sports, ESPN]
