Clay Matthews Fined $22,050 for Hit on Russell Wilson: Latest Details, Reaction

Watching the Super Bowl after losing to the Seattle Seahawks in the NFC Championship Game is indignation enough for Clay Matthews. But now the star linebacker will be a bit lighter in the pocket as well, as the NFL has fined him for his blind-side block on Russell Wilson, which took place after Wilson threw an interception in the second quarter.

Adam Schefter of ESPN has the report:

Frank Isola of the New York Daily News is among those who will likely be quite pleased with the NFL's decision to slap a heavy fine on Matthews:

Matthews, on the other hand, didn't think he did anything wrong, per Rob Demovsky of ESPN.

"I was just blocking whoever and it turned out to be the quarterback and obviously calls are going to go in their direction whether it was a blind-side hit or whatever," Matthews said Sunday after the game. "I'm just looking to pick up a block and unfortunately that's just how the game played out."

During the game, folks pondered whether the big hit had affected Wilson, who finished 14-of-29 with 209 passing yards, one touchdown and four interceptions while rushing seven times for 25 yards and another score.

The Fox analysts covering the game were split in their opinion over whether the hit had left the quarterback in a fog, which led to this postgame interview, per Bob Raissman of the New York Daily News:

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Fortunately, despite all the emotional chaos following the frenetic finish, Wilson appeared on Fox's postgame show with the panel. And before the segment ended, Curt (Big House) Menefee, perhaps looking to defend the credibility of his partners, asked the QB if he had been "dinged up" by Matthews' crushing hit.

Wilson, with a wide, spit-eating grin, responded with a very unconvincing "no."

"Sometimes you can tell a lot by someone's expression," said Menefee, ever the skeptic.

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Regardless, the NFL deemed the hit to be a dangerous and illegal one, and it slapped Matthews with a substantial fine.

Matthews can afford the fine, of course. One of the league's elite defensive players, he finished the year with 61 tackles, 11 sacks, two forced fumbles and an interception. Despite playing well in Sunday's game—he registered six tackles and a sack—he couldn't lead Green Bay to the Super Bowl.

Christian Petersen/Getty Images

In that regard, there's always next year. And next year, Matthews might be a little less likely to peel back and derail a quarterback with an illegal block during an interception lest he face another hefty fine.

Many folks may not like it, but making blocks like the one Matthews leveled on Wilson are in place to protect player safety and to avoid head trauma in the future. That isn't about to change anytime soon.