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Eric Weddle Fined over $26,000 for Hit on JuJu Smith-Schuster
November 15, 2018
Baltimore Ravens safety Eric Weddle earned a $26,739 fine for his Week 9 hit on Pittsburgh Steelers receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster, according to Joe Rutter of the Pittsburgh Tribune.
Weddle was called for an unnecessary roughness penalty on the play, although the flag was offset by an offensive holding by the Steelers
The incident took place on the first drive of the second half of the Nov. 4 game, which eventually ended with a 23-16 Steelers win.
Senior Vice President of Officiating Al Riveron broke down the reasoning for the penalty in the league's weekly media video (relevant part begins at 2:24):
"Before he has the opportunity to defend himself, he is illegally contacted forcibly in the head or neck area," Riveron said of Smith-Schuster.
The play was relatively out of character for Weddle, who hadn't gotten called for any penalty since 2016. He has now been called for unnecessary roughness five times in his 12-year career, per Pro Football Reference.
His most recent fine came in 2015 for watching his daughter dance at halftime.
The veteran was even nominated for the Art Rooney Sportsmanship Award on Wednesday, per Jeff Zrebiec of The Athletic.
Weddle will likely try hard to avoid another fine after the latest discipline.