Carolina Panthers safety Zakee Wheatley has received an NFL fine for the controversial hit that knocked Denver Broncos wide receiver Jaylen Waddle out of their Week 9 matchup with a concussion.
The NFL’s Week 9 accountability report confirms Wheatley was fined $5,626 for unnecessary roughness, specifically a hit on a defenseless player.
The play occurred with 19 seconds remaining in the first quarter of Carolina’s 26-21 loss to Denver on November 8. Wheatley was not penalized for the hit during the game, despite Waddle subsequently entering concussion protocol and being ruled out.
The punishment also marks Wheatley’s second publicly listed fine of the season, adding another disciplinary concern for the Panthers defensive back.
NFL Confirms Zakee Wheatley Fine for Hit on Jaylen Waddle
The NFL’s ruling removes any uncertainty about whether Wheatley’s contact with Waddle violated league rules.
According to the official game play-by-play, Broncos quarterback Bo Nix targeted Waddle on a deep pass from Denver’s 24-yard line with 19 seconds left in the opening quarter.
Wheatley delivered a hit as Waddle attempted to make the reception, knocking the ball free. Waddle initially got up but subsequently left the field for a concussion evaluation.
The officials did not penalize Wheatley. Instead, Panthers cornerback Marco Wilson drew flags for defensive pass interference and taunting on the same play. Denver accepted the 15-yard taunting penalty.
That distinction drew immediate criticism, including from Denver Post columnist Troy Renck, who questioned why the hit itself had gone unpunished.
Heavy reported on November 8 that Wheatley could face a separate NFL fine even though officials had not flagged his contact with Waddle.
Six days later, the league confirmed the violation, identifying the exact play and assessing the $5,626 penalty.
Waddle never returned to the game, finishing with one reception for 22 yards. The Broncos also lost cornerback Riley Moss to a concussion but managed to escape Carolina with a victory.
Panthers Safety Zakee Wheatley Faces Second NFL Fine of 2026
Saturday’s announcement is not Wheatley’s first encounter with the NFL’s disciplinary process this season.
The league previously fined the Panthers safety $5,626 for taunting during Carolina’s Week 6 game, citing a fourth-quarter incident with 4:32 remaining.
His two published fines now total $11,252, although the violations fall under different categories.
The distinction matters under the NFL’s updated player-safety disciplinary policy.
In August, the NFL and NFL Players Association announced stricter consequences for five categories of dangerous plays, including hits on defenseless players, launching and hip-drop tackles.
Three qualifying violations in a season trigger a one-game suspension. Wheatley’s earlier taunting offense is not among those five categories, meaning his two fines should not be mistaken for two qualifying safety violations.
His latest fine, however, falls squarely within the league’s heightened enforcement policy.
For Carolina, the decision also closes an unusual chapter from the Denver game: the most consequential contact on the play went unflagged, while Wilson was penalized for his actions around it.
The NFL’s subsequent review reached a different conclusion about Wheatley’s contact. The league determined the hit warranted punishment, even if that judgment arrived nearly a week after Waddle’s afternoon ended.
Carolina Panthers Safety Zakee Wheatley Fined by NFL After Jaylen Waddle Injury