The NFL has hit Kansas City Chiefs’ player Nick Bolton with a fine following his Super Bowl LVIII win over the San Francisco 49ers a little more than a week ago.
The NFL has slapped a fine on Kansas City Chiefs star Nick Bolton for his rough tackle on San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy during Super Bowl LVIII.
The linebacker was fined $8,238 (£6,542) for his horse-collar tackle in the second quarter of the game. He was the only player to receive a fine for a safety-related violation in the entire match.
Bolton’s controversial tackle happened when Purdy was running with the ball. The 23-year-old Bolton reached over Purdy’s shoulders and pulled him, but not enough to bring him down.
After the play, Purdy’s jersey was noticeably messed up, showing evidence of Bolton’s actions. A flag was thrown at the time and, after a week, the league office decided that Bolton’s actions deserved a fine.
Besides Bolton, L’Jarius Sneed received the second personal foul for unnecessary roughness during the game. Despite this, the NFL decided not to penalize Sneed.
During the Super Bowl, Bolton registered 13 tackles, five of which were solo tackles, and also managed to make one tackle for a loss against the 49ers.
The fine imposed on him came following criticisms from numerous players and commentators directed towards the Chiefs for seemingly not facing penalties for infractions occurring on their end of the field. Users on social media were fast to point out that the Chiefs have not received a holding penalty in three Super Bowls. The most recent holding penalty occurred during Super Bowl LIV when Byron Pringle was flagged for holding.
J.J. Watt of the Houston Texans believes that the NFL should consider reducing the severity of holding penalties in order to encourage referees to enforce them more frequently.
The current regulations state that teams lose 10 yards if they are found to have committed holding.
“The 34-year-old stated that he believes the referees are aware of the significant impact of a 10-yard penalty in the NFL.
He suggested that reducing it to a 5-yard penalty would result in more equitable and realistic calls, as it would not be as damaging to the offense.” Fans have witnessed instances where the Chiefs’ players have successfully delayed their opponents, allowing Patrick Mahomes to execute his plays without drawing the attention of the referees.
While some fans appreciate J.J. Watt’s suggestion, others prefer to avoid too many interruptions during the game as it can detract from the overall entertainment value.