Getty Vikings safety Harrison Smith was fined for a hit on Cardinals wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins.
An outcry against Minnesota Vikings safety Harrison Smith has resulted in the veteran receiving a hefty fine.
NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero reported that the NFL fined Smith $15,914 for unnecessary roughness for a hit on Arizona Cardinals wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins on a two-point conversion in Week 8.
Hopkins and quarterback Kyler Murray challenged the officials on the field for not throwing a flag and giving Arizona a second chance for the two-point try. Hopkins took to Twitter after the game, tweeted “NFL, I need an explanation.”
Hopkins’ plea was echoed by the Cardinals fan base that blasted Smith for the play, prompting the NFL to fine Smith for a play he wasn’t even penalized for during the game — leaving Vikings fans livid.
DeAndre Hopkins, of the best receivers in the #NFL nearly gets his head taken off, by a clear helmet-to-helmet headhunting job, in the end zone & they don’t even bother to review it?
Truly unreal! #Cardinals
Vikings Fans Call Out NFL for Fining Harrison Smith
Responding to Smith’s fine, Vikings fans took issue with the fact he was not penalized on the field.
“You fine a guy for a penalty that wasn’t even called maybe fine the refs for not calling the penalty and putting the players in danger,” one fan tweeted.
@TomPelissero You fine a guy for a penalty that wasn’t even called maybe fine the refs for not calling the penalty and putting the players in danger
“Instead of a fine, be great if they could just tell the defensive player what exactly they should do,” another fan responded.
@TomPelissero Instead of a fine, be great if they could just tell the defensive player what exactly they should do.
One fan called to attention that Smith had already lowered his shoulder, heading toward an upright Hopkins whose body lowered when he made contact with Cameron Dantzler while trying to make the catch.
@campazfb @ClevelandOnTop @TomPelissero Smith was coming in clean, Hopkins got lower and Smith couldn’t do anything.
It’s a similar situation to when Smith was fined and ejected for a hit he delivered in 2020 against the Houston Texans.
Smith pursued Texans tight end Jordan Akins who caught a pass over the middle and braced for a hit. Smith had already launched for Akins, who tucked his head, as the two collided helmet-to-helmet. Smith was called for helmet-to-helmet contact and was ejected, while Akins left the game with a concussion.
Harrison Smith : 3 tackles (Ejected in the 2nd quarter for this helmet-to-helmet hit on Jordan Akins)
Harrison Smith Speaks Out on NFL Policy for Fines
Addressing his $15,000 fine for his hit back in 2020, Smith had a candid back-and-forth with reporters about the state of the NFL and its shift to more initiatives to protect players.
Smith, asked about his thoughts on his fine and ejection, broke the typical press conference format and asked reporter Chris Tomasson his thoughts and how he should correct his play moving forward.
What followed is an interesting exchange. A transcription is below, along with the full interview, which is a worthwhile watch.
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Smith: Obviously, I wasn’t a fan of it. I thought I did kind of what I could do while still being an active football player on the defensive side of the ball. To avoid those things, tried to lower the target, tried to tilt my head out.
What do you think I should have done, Chris?
Tomasson: It seemed to me you got your shoulder in there… maybe it would have been warranted a penalty but I didn’t think it was warranted am ejection.
Smith: What do you think, if that scenario comes up again, I should do?
Tomasson: I mean you gotta play football. There was some questions yesterday on the conference call with the defensive coordinators and they said ‘really it’s not a teaching thing’ because they thought you acted appropriately. So, I would concur with them.
Smith: Okay, thank you.
Smith smirked after another reporter acknowledged he liked the new interview format Smith had improvised. Smith turning the table on Tomasson wasn’t from a place of spite, but more of an effort to bring awareness to how the NFL rules are viewed.
“Sometimes when you’re a defensive guy you see things one way, I value y’all’s opinion — you guys see a lot of football as well — if you got any ways I can improve my game I’m all ears,” Smith added.