Getty Jamie Collins on the sidelines during a Patriots game.
The Detroit Lions lost one of their biggest offseason acquisitions early in Week 1 with the ejection of linebacker Jamie Collins, but there is some good news for all parties heading into Week 2.
Collins isn’t going to be suspended for the head butt, which ended up being little more than a love tap. That news was revealed early on Monday by Tom Pelissero of the NFL Network.
#Lions LB Jamie Collins won’t be suspended for the incident with an official that led to his ejection Sunday, I’m told.
Whether or not Collins will be fined remains anyone’s guess. One could imagine that a fine later in the week will be heading in his direction even if he will not be suspended.
The head contact occurred early in the first quarter as the Lions defense was attempting to slow down Chicago. Frustrated with head movements up front, Collins attempted to explain to the referee physically what was happening. The problem was he got a little too close and too animated.
Fortunately for the Lions, however, no suspension is coming.
Jamie Collins Head Butt Video
During Week 1’s loss, Collins was frustrated with an official not noticing a Bears lineman bobbing his head. So he showed the official what he was talking about. One problem? Collins made contact with the official and head butted him drawing a flag and an automatic ejection during the game.
Here’s the play:
Lions LB Jamie Collins was ejected after making contact with an official with his helmet.
Obviously, the contact with the official was a mistake and not intentional, but the simple fact is a player can’t touch the officials or come close to them. That was a pretty obvious mistake on the part of Collins.
Truthfully, though, it wasn’t something which warranted a lengthy suspension whatsoever.
Lions Instructed Not To Sign Jamie Collins
Coming into free agency last year, the Lions were instructed to avoid New England Patriots linebacker Jamie Collins. According to Kristopher Knox of Bleacher Report, the Lions shouldn’t have looked in the direction of the Patriots’ linebacker.
Here’s a look at what Knox wrote explaining why that is the case:
“The Detroit Lions need help defensively, where they ranked 31st overall this season. Head coach and former Patriots defensive coordinator Matt Patricia has an affinity for New England players—he brought in both Danny Amendola and Trey Flowers last offseason.
Thus, the Lions could pursue Pats linebacker Jamie Collins in free agency—but they shouldn’t.
Collins has been fantastic for New England this season. He’s amassed 81 tackles, 7.0 sacks, three forced fumbles and three interceptions.
However, he is 30 years old and has not played his best football away from New England. In two-plus seasons with the Cleveland Browns, he had one good-not-great campaign: a 104-tackle, four-sack season in 2018.
Because of his numbers this season, Collins is likely to land a sizable contract in free agency, the kind of deal that should only be paid by a franchise that is a piece or two away from contention.”
The Lions have targeted Patriots free agents before, and have seen mixed results on that front. Obviously, after Week 1, it’s tough to grade Collins on his debut since he saw so little action in the game as a result of the head butt.
Jamie Collins Stats
Collins has been a solid performer in the NFL for years. He started with the Patriots where he got to know Matt Patricia, and later was traded to the Cleveland Browns for a few seasons before he got released and signed back in New England.
In terms of production, Collins has been solid as well. Collins has put up 577 tackles, 24.5 sacks and registered 16 forced fumbles as well as 10 interceptions. He’s been a terror in terms of his ability to come off the edge and make a variety of plays for a defense.
Perhaps the only concern about Collins right now is his age. At 30, he’s getting a bit long in the tooth for a big contract, which the Lions gave him.
Hopefully, without the suspension, the Lions can get a better idea of what they have in Collins next week.
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