Fred Warner just got slapped with another two fines from the NFL, racking up a wild $65,673 after the Niners’ Week 6 win over the Commanders. That brings his season total for fines to a staggering $107,466. But get this, even with all that cash flying out of his wallet, the San Francisco 49ers don’t have to sweat losing their star linebacker for a one-game suspension, at least not for the reasons everyone thought.
Seriously, The Fines Are Piling Up
Let’s break down where all this money is going. In that Week 6 game against the Commanders, Warner was fined $17,911 for hitting a defenseless player early in the fourth quarter. Then, later in that same quarter, he got hit with another $47,762 for improper use of the helmet. Wild part about that second one? The refs actually threw a flag on Warner for the tackle on Chig Okonkwo, but after a quick chat, they picked it up. Talk about catching a break on the field, even if the league still got him in the wallet.
And it ain’t new. This is the second time this season Warner’s been docked for improper use of the helmet. Back in Week 3 against the Cardinals, he got hit with a $23,882 fine for that exact same infraction. Plus, he got another $17,911 in that game for a hip-drop tackle. So yeah, the dude’s season total for fines is definitely up there at $107,466. It’s a huge chunk of change.
The NFL’s Rulebook Just Blew Everyone’s Mind
So, why isn’t Warner on the chopping block for a suspension if he’s stacking these “use of helmet” fines? Well, some folks covering the 49ers were saying he was one more fine away from missing a game. Before the season started, the NFL dropped new health and safety rules: three instances of a *specific set* of violations will get a player suspended for one game. Those five big ones are hip-drop tackles, horse collar tackles, launching, hits on a defenseless player, and blindside blocks.
Here’s where it gets confusing, because the NFL’s own page about fines actually lists the tackling violation as “Impermissible Use of the Helmet/Launching.” But if you dive into the NFL rulebook itself, “launching”,when a player practically leaps off the ground “forward and upward” into a defenseless opponent,is specifically under the “Players in a defenseless posture” rule. The “impermissible use of the helmet” is actually a completely separate rule. And this is the kicker: NFL spokesperson Brian McCarthy confirmed via email on Sunday that “use of the helmet” violations are *not* on that list that leads to potential suspensions. What a curveball!
This means Warner isn’t one tackle away from being forced to miss a game for the undefeated Niners. Could he still get suspended? Absolutely, if he commits two more violations for hitting a defenseless player or two more hip-drop tackles. But the “use of helmet” fines won’t be the ones to sideline him.
The undefeated 49ers are gearing up to take on the Falcons next. That game kicks off at 10 a.m. on Fox, and it’s gonna be wild to see if Warner can keep his name off that fines list for a bit.
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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