Player safety and health have been a hot topic in the NFL for the past few years as teams and players have come out and advocated for the league to ensure that this is being taken seriously.
Football is the most violent sport in the world and players are at risk of serious injury every time they step on the field.
To help alleviate concerns about the issue, the NFL has directed officials to call games more tightly when it comes to any sort of contact that could endanger a player.
So far during the 2023 NFL season, several players have been hit with fines for hits on plays that referees deemed unnecessary and even dangerous.
For example, Denver Broncos defensive back Kareem Jackson was suspended for multiple games after being called for unnecessary roughness penalties.
However, there have also been several fines handed out that probably weren’t warranted and J.J. Watt believes these are ruining the integrity of the game via CBS.
“I don’t believe that the fines are being used the way that they were intended to be used,” Watt said.
“I don’t believe that the fines are being used the way that they were intended to be used.”@JJWatt gives his thoughts on the fines around the NFL this season. pic.twitter.com/ZqABbopsjE
— NFL on CBS (@NFLonCBS) November 12, 2023
Watt explains that fines were initially instituted to discourage and remove malicious hits with the intent to hurt a player.
However, the former defensive end also brings up a couple of routine run plays where players were fined for leading with their helmet on blocks to free up the running backs.
It does feel like the league has taken it almost too far when it comes to punishing players, and to Watt’s point the simple solution would be to use more common sense when evaluating plays for fines.
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