The NFL has handed down punishment for a hit on a Seattle Seahawks defender that officials did not penalize during the game.
Arizona Cardinals safety Kitan Crawford was fined $5,775 for unnecessary roughness stemming from an illegal blindside block on Seahawks cornerback Nehemiah Pritchett during Seattle’s 17-3 victory over Arizona on Nov. 8.
The punishment was announced Saturday, Nov. 14, as part of the NFL’s weekly review of on-field violations.
According to the league’s official accountability report, Crawford’s infraction occurred with 6:23 remaining in the first quarter. Although officials allowed play to continue without flagging the hit, the league determined that the contact warranted a financial penalty.
The development provides another example of the NFL’s disciplinary process identifying an infraction after a game has ended.
NFL Fines Cardinals Safety for Hit on Seahawks’ Nehemiah Pritchett
The hit occurred during a punt return, with Crawford blocking Pritchett as the Seahawks defender participated in special teams coverage.
Mookie Alexander of Field Gulls shared video of the incident on X, providing another look at the play that resulted in Crawford’s fine.
Under the NFL’s rules, an illegal blindside block involves a player initiating forcible contact with an opponent using the helmet, shoulder or forearm while moving toward or parallel to the player’s own end line, outside the applicable exception for close-line play.
The league’s determination means Crawford was financially penalized despite avoiding an in-game flag for the contact.
As Field Gulls reported Saturday, Pritchett was the Seahawks player on the receiving end of Crawford’s illegal block.
The $5,775 penalty was Crawford’s first reported NFL fine of the 2026 season.
Seahawks Also Receive NFL Punishment After Cardinals Win
Crawford was not the only player disciplined following the NFC West matchup.
Two Seahawks defensive standouts, linebacker Ernest Jones IV and cornerback Devon Witherspoon, also received fines for separate incidents during the victory.
Jones was assessed a $23,882 fine for unnecessary roughness involving illegal use of his helmet in the first quarter. His penalty was among the largest issued by the NFL for Week 9.
Witherspoon received a $17,911 fine for taunting Cardinals tight end Trey McBride during the fourth quarter.
Unlike Crawford’s blindside block, both Seahawks incidents drew penalties during the game.
The three fines totaled $47,568, with Seattle players accounting for $41,793 of the announced punishments.
Those disciplinary decisions did not change the outcome on the scoreboard. Seattle held Arizona to three points, with the Cardinals failing to score after the first quarter.
The Seahawks now turn their attention to the Las Vegas Raiders on Sunday, Nov. 15, while the NFL’s latest disciplinary report adds another talking point to a divisional victory that featured several controversial penalties and hits.
NFL Punishes Cardinals Player for Uncalled Hit on Seahawks Defender