Our reigning Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks took down the Cardinals 17-3 in Week 9, but the NFL’s post-game report card hit a little different this time, with linebacker Ernest Jones and cornerback Devon Witherspoon both getting dinged for discipline. You’d think after a dominant win like that, it’d be all smiles, but the league’s got eyes everywhere, even if the refs don’t always catch it in real time.
The League Comes Calling: Unseen Blocks and Flagged Hits
First up, the Cardinals’ safety Kitan Crawford got tagged with a $5,775 fine for a blindside block during that Week 9 matchup. The crazy part? He wasn’t even flagged for it during the game. That’s a good chunk of change out of his wallet, and it’s his only fine so far this season. Crawford, who Arizona picked in the seventh round of the 2025 NFL Draft, has logged 30 tackles, a pass breakup, and a blocked kick over his season and a half. He was the only Cardinal fined in their losing effort. But it wasn’t just the other side feeling the pinch. Our guy, linebacker Ernest Jones, got absolutely hammered with a $23,882 fine for unnecessary roughness in the first quarter, for a hit on Cardinals QB Gardner Minshew. Jones *was* flagged for that play in real time, so at least we knew that one was coming.
Witherspoon’s Taunting Tab Just Got Steeper
Now, here’s where it gets interesting for the Emerald City. Our fiery cornerback, Devon Witherspoon, also got hit with a fine, a hefty $17,911 for taunting Trey McBride after a Seahawks’ defensive stand in the fourth quarter. Seventeen grand! That’s a lot for a celebration, right? But here’s the kicker, and why that number is so steep: this is Witherspoon’s *second* taunting fine of the season. He was fined $11,941 earlier in the year for taunting receiver Mack Hollins when our Seahawks beat the Patriots in the season opener. The league isn’t playing around with these repeat offenders, and they clearly want to send a message.
Look, we love the passion. We love the swagger. Our champs play with an edge, and that’s part of what makes them so dominant, why they’re *reigning Super Bowl champs*. But these fines, especially for taunting, really add up. The NFL does split these funds between the NFLPA’s services for retired players, the NFL Foundation, and other non-profit organizations for sports leagues, community health initiatives, and player health and safety. Good causes, sure, but it’s still our players’ money. We clinched that 17-3 victory, no doubt, but staying disciplined and keeping those celebrations clean is going to be key as we move forward. Let’s keep that championship mindset, on the field and off!
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Revenge of the Birds.
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