Richard Seymour: Fined $25k, but Not Suspended for Striking Ben Roethlisberger

The Oakland Raiders' performance against the Pittsburgh Steelers Sunday went from bad to worse when Raiders defensive end Richard Seymour struck Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger in the face, knocking him to the ground.

The NFL fined Seymour $25,000 today, but did not give the former all pro a suspension.

After a 22-yard touchdown pass from Roethlisberger to Emmanuel Sanders in the second quarter, Seymour was in a heated discussion with multiple Steelers offensive lineman when Roethlisberger approached the situation and appeared to say something to Seymour, which he took offense to.

Seymour struck Big Ben with an open hand to the jaw, knocking the Steelers quarterback to the ground. Roethlisberger was not injured and played the rest of the game.

Seymour however, was given a personal foul, and was ejected.

The Raiders must now regroup from the first game after their week 10 bye, but were surely glad to learn their defensive star will be available for their next game against the Miami Dolphins.

The NFL should have suspended Richard Seymour for at least one game, and his past history involving illegal hits is reason enough.

Seymour was fined twice last season by the league for illegal hits, including a $7,500 fine for pulling the hair of Denver Broncos lineman Ryan Clady, and a $10,000 fine for a hit after a play against Cleveland.

The 35-3 drubbing the Raiders suffered to Pittsburgh on Sunday was a very physical game, and the Steelers alone were penalized 14 times, including six personal fouls.

No matter how chippy a game becomes, players need to act professional and maintain their composure. It's never alright to hit someone after a play, especially in the head.

Seymour has shown numerous times in his career that he has a problem with letting his emotions get to him. These past altercations combined with Sunday's hit on Roethlisberger warrant a suspension for Seymour.

The NFL offices have handed out a lot of suspensions and fines this season which have been criticized and debated, and Seymour's situation is debatable as well.

Steelers linebacker James Harrison was fined $75k for two tackles against the Browns earlier this season. He was then fined $20k on November 5th for a hit on New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees.

Several other head to head collisions have been fined, however many appeared to be the simple result of the physicality in an NFL game.

The NFL needs to determine which hits are done on purpose, and which ones are a product of the play on the field. 

Many of the much debated "helmet to helmet" collisions are not the fault of the defender. When the receiver puts his head down to avoid a hit, he puts his head in a position to get hit.

Seymour's jab was blatantly intentional, and was reckless. 

The NFL needs to suspend Richard Seymour for one game based on his past history involving illegal hits, and his inability to learn from each fine he's received.

It's one thing to collide on the field when trying to make a tackle, and injuries will happen due to the strength of today's players. But actions that are done with knowing intent and carelessness should not be tolerated, especially with repeat offenders like Richard Seymour.