Jaxon Smith-Njigba got absolutely leveled by 49ers safety Malik Mustapha with a helmet-to-helmet hit on our final drive against the Niners, and the fact it wasn’t flagged could have changed everything. Seriously, we were down just three points with 1:09 to play, and if the officials had actually called it, we would have had a first down on the San Francisco 35. Instead, Mustapha avoided the flag, and the league only hit him with a $6,998 fine. Now, just weeks later, this isn’t an isolated incident, and the consequences for Mustapha are piling up fast.
That Missed Call On JSN Could’ve Changed Everything
We all saw it, right? It was against the 49ers, late in the game, our Hawks trying to mount that final comeback. Mustapha launched himself and delivered a helmet-to-helmet shot right to JSN. The replay clearly showed it, the impact was undeniable, and the frustration at the lack of a flag was instant. A first down on their 35 yard line, needing only a field goal to tie, with over a minute left? That’s the difference between a real shot at winning and a frustrating loss. The league did fine Mustapha that paltry $6,998 for that play, but you have to wonder what the refs were even looking at in real-time. This wasn’t some bang-bang play that was hard to see. It was a direct, illegal hit on our guy, and it cost us big.
This Isn’t a Fluke, And A Suspension Is Looming
Here’s the kicker: that hit on JSN wasn’t a one-off for Mustapha this season. For the second straight game, this dude has avoided a flag for an illegal hit on a defenseless player. And for the second straight week, he’s likely staring down another fine. Just this past Monday night in Santa Clara, on the opening drive of the Commanders game, Mustapha delivered *another* illegal helmet-to-helmet hit, this time on Washington receiver Stefon Diggs. Again, no flag on the field. But the ESPN broadcast, like any fan watching, correctly pointed out it should have been. This Diggs hit, coming so early in Week 6, means Mustapha is officially in deep trouble. Under the new NFL-NFL Players Association rules for specific safety violations, if he gets fined again, he’ll be one more illegal hit away from an automatic suspension. And technically? He’s already in line for that suspension with this second violation. The league is finally cracking down on player safety, and it looks like Mustapha is about to find out the hard way.
This whole situation highlights why player safety and proper officiating are so crucial. When these hits go unflagged, it not only impacts game outcomes like it did for our Seahawks, but it also puts players like JSN at unnecessary risk. We’ll be watching closely to see if the league takes proper action with Mustapha this time around, because frankly, it’s getting ridiculous.
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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