The Arizona Cardinals have been handed some additional fallout from their Week 2 loss to the Seattle Seahawks.
The NFL announced Saturday that Cardinals linebacker Karson Sharar was fined $5,372 for unnecessary roughness stemming from a late hit during Arizona’s 31-7 loss to Seattle on September 20.
The recipient of the hit was Seahawks wide receiver and return specialist Rashid Shaheed.
Sharar brought Shaheed down after a 14-yard punt return with 5:34 remaining in the second quarter. The play drew a 15-yard unnecessary roughness penalty at the time, moving Seattle from the Arizona 46-yard line to the Cardinals’ 31.
The NFL has now added a financial penalty to it.
Karson Sharar Hit Rashid Shaheed After 14-Yard Return
The timing of Sharar’s penalty was costly even before the fine arrived.
Arizona punted from its own 11-yard line with the score tied 7-7. Shaheed fielded the kick and returned it 14 yards before going out of bounds at the Cardinals’ 46. Sharar was credited with the tackle, but his late contact drew the flag and another 15 yards.
Seattle immediately took advantage of the field position.
Drew Lock connected with Jaxon Smith-Njigba for 10 yards on the next snap, and the Seahawks eventually drove to the Arizona 1-yard line before being stopped on fourth down.
The Seahawks didn’t score on that possession, but they took over after halftime. Seattle broke a 7-7 tie with 24 unanswered second-half points to win 31-7, with Smith-Njigba finishing with 155 receiving yards and three touchdowns.
Shaheed, meanwhile, finished with three catches for 35 yards and handled Seattle’s return duties. Through two games, he has four punt returns for 38 yards, including that season-long 14-yard return against Arizona
Cardinals Rookie Karson Sharar Has Already Been Fined Once
This also isn’t Sharar’s first bill from the NFL.
The Cardinals’ sixth-round rookie was fined $5,372 during Week 2 of the preseason for unnecessary roughness and impermissible use of the helmet. Remarkably, that is the exact amount he was fined for the Shaheed hit,
Sharar was selected No. 183 overall out of Iowa in the 2026 NFL draft and has primarily worked as a reserve linebacker and special-teams contributor. He recorded one tackle against Seattle and has three total tackles through his first two regular-season games.
The NFL’s published 2026 fine schedule lists $11,941 as the standard first-offense amount for a late hit, although individual fines can differ from the listed schedule. Players are notified by the league and have the ability to appeal discipline.
For Sharar, it makes two five-figure-adjacent reminders before his NFL career is even a month into the regular season.
And this one came at the expense of Seattle’s return man.
NFL Announces Fine for Cardinals LB After Late Hit on Seahawks Star