The Washington Commanders benefitted from a lot of penalties in their near-comeback attempt against the San Francisco 49ers in Week 6. But the officials probably should have called one additional foul.
The NFL announced Saturday 49ers linebacker Fred Warner received a pair of fines in the matchup versus the Commanders on Monday night. The second of which was a fine for Warner illegally using his helmet against Commanders tight end Chig Okonwko.
Although the incident, which the league described as unnecessary roughness, didn’t result in a penalty, the NFL fined Warner $47,762 for the hit.
NFL insider Tom Pelissero explained on X on Saturday that not only did Warner not get a foul on the play, but the officials actually picked up a flag after the hit.
“The NFL fined 49ers LB Fred Warner $65,673 for two unnecessary roughness violations last week — including $47,762 for this hit on Commanders TE Chig Okonkwo,” wrote Pelissero on X.
“Officials threw a flag on the play, but then picked it up.”
Warner also received an unnecessary roughness fine for a hit on a defenseless player on a different play. That fine was worth $17,911.
NFL Fines 49ers’ Fred Warner More Than $65,000 for Two Plays vs. Commanders
Warner’s $47,000-plus fine was, by far, the most expensive fine around the league in Week 6. The next most-expensive fine was the Denver Broncos‘ Alex Singleton’s unnecessary roughness violation that resulted in a $23,882 fine.
The NFL handed out five fines that were at least $17,000 for incidents in Week 6. Warner had two of them.
Warner delivered the controversial hit against the Washington tight end on seven-and-7 at the Commanders 25-yard line. At the time, Washington trailed by six points.
Thanks to picking up the flag, the Commanders faced a third-and-4 after Okonkwo picked up four yards before Warner’s hit. If officials had called the penalty on Warner, it would have been an automatic first down. The Commanders also would have gained 15 yards.
Fortunately, Washington did convert the third-down attempt. Quarterback Jayden Daniels and the offense also overcame the lack of penalty yardage by driving into the red zone. But the drive stalled at the 17-yard line.
Because of the third-down conversion and long drive, the non-penalty on Warner became a bit of a moot point. But who knows what could have occurred if the penalty had moved Washington into better field position immediately.
The other fine Warner received in Week 6 was from a hit which occurred at the beginning of the fourth quarter. That was also a hit on Okonkwo that didn’t receive result in a foul.
The Commanders, though, scored a touchdown on that drive.
The NFL has now fined Warner four times this season. He also received a pair of fines for unnecessary roughness in Week 3.
Commanders guard Chris Paul received the only fine for Washington in the Week 6 matchup against San Francisco. The NFL tagged Paul with a $11,941 fine for unnecessary roughness for grabbing a 49ers defender’s face mask.
The officials called Paul for a penalty on the play, which nullified a touchdown.
49ers’ Fred Warner Gets Massive Fine For Hit on Commanders TE Chig Okonkwo