Jets safety Minkah Fitzpatrick is officially on the hook for a fine from the NFL after a brutal hit on Browns wide receiver KC Concepcion this past Sunday. The hit knocked Concepcion out of the game with a concussion, and now Fitzpatrick is ready to appeal the league’s decision.
The Play That Shook Concepcion
The hit that got Fitzpatrick fined was no joke, leading to a concussion for Concepcion. On top of that, Fitzpatrick also ripped off Concepcion’s helmet in the first quarter, an action that probably snagged him another fine from the league. Four plays after the helmet incident, Fitzpatrick drew an unnecessary roughness penalty that took Concepcion out of the game. Good news, though: Concepcion did get back to practice on Wednesday, albeit limited, and was still in concussion protocol after another limited session Thursday. You never want to see a guy go down like that.
Fitzpatrick Fires Back At The Rulebook
Fitzpatrick isn’t just taking this fine lying down. He’s appealing, telling reporters Thursday, “It was a football play, in my opinion.” He added that “Obviously, we don’t like to see anybody get hurt,” and was “happy to see that he’s back out practicing this week.” But he doubled down on his view, calling it “a bang-bang play as their coach put it.” What’s really wild is his take on the league’s rule about defenseless players: “When you look at the league rules, they say you can’t hit a defenseless player. I really don’t know what that means.” He gets why he got the penalty, sure, but his read is that it wasn’t about targeting or hitting the head, “It was for hitting a defenseless player. In my opinion, when a receiver has the ball, you have every right.”
This appeal is gonna be a fascinating one, especially with Fitzpatrick challenging the definition of a “defenseless player” in the league’s rulebook. Concepcion’s still navigating concussion protocol, and this whole situation just amps up the debate around player safety and what’s considered a “football play” in today’s NFL.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Pro Football Talk.
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