Green Bay Packers linebacker Lukas Van Ness didn’t get a single dime taken from him for the hit that caused Minnesota Vikings quarterback Kyler Murray to suffer a concussion in Week 1. It’s a head-scratcher, honestly, considering the NFL’s constant talk about player safety.
The Hit That Got a Pass
Van Ness and Packers safety Javon Bullard absolutely rocked Murray while he was scrambling outside the pocket early in the first quarter of the Vikings’ 39-22 win over Green Bay. Murray was ruled out for the rest of the game with a concussion, a serious injury. Bullard caught an unnecessary roughness flag on the play, but Van Ness? No fine. Nothing.
But They Fined Him For *This*?
Here’s where it gets wild. Van Ness did get fined, just not for the Murray hit. The league dinged him $17,911 for a completely separate play, where his hand made contact with the head of Vikings backup quarterback Carson Wentz in the third quarter. So, a concussion-inducing hit gets a pass for one player, while another player on the same hit gets flagged, and Van Ness gets fined for what sounds like a much less severe contact. What kind of message is that sending about protecting quarterbacks?
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Bleacher Report.
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