Baltimore Ravens linebacker Roquan Smith laid a hip-drop tackle on Cincinnati Bengals tight end Erick All Jr. in their NFL Week 7 clash at M&T Bank Stadium. That hit tore All’s ACL, confirmed by Bengals head coach Zac Taylor on October 28. The absolute kicker? The NFL announced zero fines for Smith, or anyone else, from that entire game.
The League’s Silence After a Devastating Hit
Fans are still buzzing about the no-call, or in this case, the no-fine. Smith’s third-quarter tackle during that Ravens-Bengals matchup resulted in a devastating knee injury for All Jr., a former Fairfield High School standout. Despite the clear impact and the severity of the injury, the league did not penalize Smith financially. In fact, according to league announcements, the entire Bengals-Ravens Week 7 slugfest didn’t generate a single fine.
Bengals Scramble to Cover the Injury
The Bengals, obviously, had to make immediate moves to deal with the fallout. Just one day before Coach Taylor confirmed the ACL tear, Cincinnati placed All on the Reserve/Injured list. To fill the void at tight end, they quickly snatched up Cam Grandy from Minnesota’s practice squad, bringing him back to the Bengals organization.
So, while the Bengals scramble to adjust their roster after losing a key player to a season-ending injury, Roquan Smith walks away without a financial hit. What does this mean for future hip-drop tackles, especially ones with such devastating outcomes? You gotta wonder.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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