The NFL reviewed Jadeveon Clowney’s hit on Carson Wentz from last Sunday and decided not to fine the Seahawks defensive end, a league source confirmed to NBC Sports Philadelphia.
This won’t make Eagles fans very happy.
Clowney’s helmet-to-helmet hit on Wentz late in the first quarter of the Eagles’ 17-9 loss concussed Wentz and eventually took the franchise quarterback out of the game.
The hit has been discussed at length since then.
After the game, Jason Peters called it “dirty.” Even the NFL’s former VP of officiating called it a “cheap shot.” And eventually, Doug Pederson said he thought it probably should have been called a penalty.
“Did I feel like it was potentially an illegal hit? It's possible,” Pederson said earlier this week. “But listen, it's part of our game. It happens. It gets missed.
“It's unfortunate for Carson. I'm disappointed for Carson that he couldn't finish that postseason game and it’s unfortunate for our team. But I'm not going to focus on the past. I'm moving forward now. I'm not going to dwell on one hit or one play. So that's that.”
NFL
The explanation from referee Shawn Smith gave to a pool reporter after the game was that a penalty wasn’t called because they deemed the contact “incidental.” That explanation didn’t add up to Mike Pereira, the former NFL VP of Officiating.
“I mean, he takes a shot,” Pereira said. “Listen, I don’t think Clowney tried to hurt anybody but I do think he tried to punish him. That was my opinion of the play. Needlessly punish him.”
After the game, Clowney said he wasn’t trying to hurt Wentz and that it was just a “bang-bang play.” He also said he didn’t understand why Eagles fans hate him so much. But it’s probably because this is the second year in a row Clowney has had a big hit on an Eagles quarterback that many viewed as cheap.
Last year, when he was still with the Texans, Clowney was fined $40,110 for his hit on Nick Foles.
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