Green Bay Packers safety Javon Bullard remained in the game against the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday, September 13 after sending quarterback Kyler Murray off the field and directly into concussion protocol, but this story is unlikely to end here.
ESPN’s Kevin Seifert described Bullard’s hit as “illegal” in an X post following the collision. Murray had already began a slide when Bullard zoomed in and put his shoulder into the quarterback’s helmet.
“A scary and illegal hit on Kyler Murray, whose helmet flew off when he was hit on the ground,” Seifert wrote. “The personal foul is on Javon Bullard. Vikings players immediately began waving for help. Murray is walking off the field, but he’ll go straight to the blue tent.”
Shortly after, Minnesota confirmed that Murray was out for the game. It is possible that the quarterback could miss multiple contests, depending on how quickly he navigates the mandatory concussion protocol.
Javon Bullard Likely to Face Fine After Referees Flagged Him for Unsportsmanlike Conduct
Bullard’s penalty cost his team 15 yards, though the price tag on the fine that is likely coming from the league is going to be considerably steeper.
Every personal foul fine that falls under the category of unnecessary roughness leads to a penalty in the five-figure range between $11,941 for a late hit to $17,911 for a hit on a defenseless player to $23,822 for impermissible use of the helmet/launching, according to the league’s official website.
In some cases, the NFL can choose to suspend a player for on-field actions, though that is unlikely in this case because such a punishment is typically reserved for repeat offenders who violate the league’s “three-strike rule” with regards to health/safety rules.
The league office will review the play in the coming week and issue a fine, if it deems Bullard’s actions worthy of one, which the NFL will then announce next Saturday.
Social Media Called Out Javon Bullard for Hit on Kyler Murray
The eye test supports Seifert’s contention that Bullard’s hit was dirty, and the officials’ decision to penalize the Packers for it is evidence of its illegality.
Most who cared enough to comment about the incident on social media in the aftermath of the hit tended to agree.
“Kyler Murray got absolutely destroyed by a borderline dirty hit by the Packers,” Tyler Forness of A to Z Sports wrote on X. “Could have a concussion with his helmet flying off.”
One fan commented on Forness’s take, implying that the referees should have tossed Bullard from the game.
“What does it take to get ejected in the NFL?” the user wrote.
There were others, however, who questioned whether Murray slid too late as well as the throwing of a flag in the first place.
The Packers and Bullard took a 19-10 lead into the locker room at halftime.
Packers Javon Bullard Could Face Severe Punishment for Hit on Vikings QB Kyler Murray