New York Giants safety Jabrill Peppers was fined $11,031 this week for his collision with Washington Football Team quarterback Kyle Allen last Sunday.
The collusion resulted in a serious ankle injury for Allen, effectively ending his season and ushering back in Alex Smith, who has returned from a severe leg injury of his own.
On the play, Peppers was clearly upended and spun by a Washington blocker, which caused his legs to whip around and hit Allen in the lower body. At the time of the collision, Peppers had his back to Allen and couldn’t have possibly known the quarterback was still there.
Despite the collision being incidental, officials threw a flag and penalized Peppers 15 yards, while the league felt it was fine-worthy.
“You never want that to happen. We all have a pact in this league,” Peppers told reporters after the game. “Guys have come from different circumstances, guys have worked hard to get here, so you never want to see a guy go down like that. I prayed for him, I apologized to him. I definitely didn’t intend for that to happen. I’m trying to play hard and make a play for my team. I’m still praying for him, and I wish him a speedy recovery.
“Everything happened so fast. I tried to bullrush the running back, but he got under me a little bit. I tried to spin out of it, it was a weird play. I didn’t intentionally try to leg whip him or whatever the penalty was. I was trying to play hard and get him on the ground.”
Washington head coach Ron Rivera also felt the collision was an accident and said nothing Peppers did was malicious in nature.
“I mean, that’s what I saw, he got cut (down),” Rivera told reporters. “It’s just a guy trying to make a play. I don’t think it’s a dirty play, it’s just a guy trying to make a play, and I get it. I’ve been there in that situation and Peppers is a heck of a football player who plays at 100 miles per hour.”
Although Peppers has not said anything publicly about the fine, it would not come as a surprise if he were to appeal it.
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