Darian Stewart, Brandon Marshall Reportedly Fined for Hits on Cam Newton

Denver Broncos safety Darian Stewart and linebacker Brandon Marshall were reportedly fined Wednesday for hitting Carolina Panthers quarterback Cam Newton in the helmet during Denver's 21-20 season-opening win in Week 1.

ESPN's Adam Caplan reported the league fined Stewart $18,231, while Jeff Legwold of ESPN.com added that Marshall was fined $24,309 "for impermissible use of a helmet." Tom Pelissero of USA Today noted those fines are the minimums for first-time offenses under the 2016 fine schedule.

SportsCenter tweeted a photo of Stewart's hit after news of his fine broke:

Neither Stewart nor Marshall were flagged for their respective hits on the field, as officials appeared to miss contact to the head on both.

Both Stewart and Marshall will appeal their fines, per Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk:

"

“Absolutely, you have to appeal,” Marshall told reporters regarding his $24,309 fine. “No matter what happens, I have to appeal it. That’s a lot of money, think about it.”

[...]

“I absolutely will,” Stewart told reporters. “I will definitely appeal the fine. ... I was just trying to make a play. I was just being aggressive, but not really trying to aim for the head.”

"

Per Mark Maske of the Washington Post, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said officials erred in failing to call "at least one" personal foul for the high hits on the reigning league MVP.

After Carolina's loss, Newton was diplomatic about the hits and the role they played in the Panthers' falling short against Denver, according to ESPN.com's David Newton: "It's not my place to question the officials. I really like the officiating crew. It wasn't something I know they did intentionally, but it's not fun getting hit in the head. We didn't lose the game off that. I know that for a fact."

While the on-field officiating in the season opener didn't deter hits to quarterbacks' heads, by fining Stewart and Marshall, the NFL took a step toward potentially causing defensive players to think twice before launching themselves head-first at signal-callers in the future.

Although the fines are drops in the bucket of Stewart's $2.5 million salary and Marshall's $2.553 million salary in 2016, not all players are compensated so handsomely.

The missed calls also figure to create a point of emphasis in the coming weeks, which means officials may be on the lookout for roughing-the-passer calls even more so than usual.  

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