Clay Matthews Fined $17,363 for Hit on Nick Foles

The NFL announced Friday that it fined Green Bay Packers linebacker Clay Matthews for his hit on St. Louis Rams quarterback Nick Foles in Week 5. 

According to ESPN's Rob Demovsky, the league took away $17,363 for Matthews' hit on Foles, which occurred in the first quarter. Though the play did not result in a roughing the passer penalty being called at the time, former NFL head of officiating Mike Periera said it should have, per Demovsky. 

On the play in question, Foles was standing in the pocket, and right as he fired a pass deep down the left sideline, Matthews was in a full sprint and appeared to lower his head directly into Foles' sternum, knocking him back a few yards. 

Earlier in the week, Matthews said there was no malicious intent, per Lori Nickel and Michael Cohen of the Journal Sentinel:

"

But when you play hard, you have no regrets. And that’s kind of how I play, whether it’s a facemask or a low hit on a quarterback. I don’t think anybody intentionally – especially myself – goes out there and tries to inflict illegal hits. Or pain. Or whatever you like to call it. It’s just a byproduct of playing hard, I believe.

"

Matthews has had previous run-ins with quarterbacks that resulted in fines, most recently being docked $22,050 for a blindside hit on Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson during the NFC Championship Game. 

The Packers did defeat the Rams, 24-10, so the penalty didn't hurt the team in the long run. But Matthews' relentless style of play could become an issue in the future. No one would suggest he should try to tone things down, but finding a way to be smarter about how he uses his body could spare him from receiving additional fines from the league office in the future.