Detroit Lions standout wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown can’t be happy with his team’s 29-22 loss against the Green Bay Packers on Thanksgiving Day. To make matters worse, the one-time Pro Bowler got hit with a fine just two days later for a play that happened two games ago. Per NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero, Amon-Ra St. Brown earned a $34,709 fine for a block in his team’s Week 11 matchup against Chicago.
The play in question sees St. Brown working to the safety during a David Montgomery run, with the wideout making contact with Bears’ safety Jaquan Brisker. The USC product hardly touches the third-level defender, but the NFL and Roger Goodell took offense with him leading with the helmet. The league continues to penalize offenders, specifically rushers. However, St. Brown broke the mold by getting hit with a monetary penalty despite not carrying the football.
NFL and Roger Goodell: Quick Trigger Finger Regarding Fines this Season
The NFL continues to crack down on players leading with their helmets in 2023. The rule came to fruition in 2013, was revised in 2018, and was tweaked again this offseason. Per Spotrac, the NFL has handed out 32 fines for “impermissible use of the helmet” before this weekend.
Houston Texans linebacker Denzel Perryman, Las Vegas Raiders running back Josh Jacobs, and Pittsburgh Steelers rusher Jaylen Warren are the most notable players to get smacked with a use-of-helmet fine this season. Perryman received a ludicrous $358,823 fine and a three-game suspension in mid-November for what the NFL called “violating its rules on multiple occasions in his career.” Meanwhile, Jacobs took to Twitter (also known as X) after his first unnecessary roughness fine, tagging the league’s official Twitter account and saying, “Y’all gotta chill with the bs.” As for Warren, NFL fans took to social media in droves for what many considered the most ridiculous fine handed out by the NFL and Roger Goodell this season.
Detroit Lions WR Amon-Ra St. Brown: Elite Production this season
St. Brown is amid a fantastic 2023 campaign, posting 82 receptions, 993 yards, and five scores in ten games. He averages nearly 100 receiving yards per game, pacing a new career high. He earned a Pro Bowl nod last season, catching 106 passes for 1,161 yards and six touchdowns.