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Ravens LB Roquan Smith Won’t Be Fined for Season-Ending Hit on Bucs WR Chris Godwin

Baltimore Ravens LB Roquan Smith was initially fined $16,883 for a hip drop tackle on Chris Godwin.

River Wells

Oct 21, 2024; Tampa, Florida, USA; Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Chris Godwin (14) is carted off the field against the Baltimore Ravens in the fourth quarter at Raymond James Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images
Oct 21, 2024; Tampa, Florida, USA; Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Chris Godwin (14) is carted off the field against the Baltimore Ravens in the fourth quarter at Raymond James Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images / Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images
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The Tampa Bay Buccaneers lost Chris Godwin for the season during their Week 7 game against the Baltimore Ravens when he dislocated his ankle after being brought down by Baltimore linebacker Roquan Smith. Smith was initially fined for committing what the NFL believed was a hip-drop tackle, but that decision didn't stick after an appeal.

Smith appealed the fine, and on Tuesday, it was annoucned that NFL hearing officer Jordy Nelson — yes, that Jordy Nelson — heard the case and rescinded the fine given to Smith for the tackle on Godwin. Had the fine stuck, it would have cost Smith $16,883 dollars.

While the exact logic in rescinding the fine isn't known, it can be assumed that the NFL detirmined that the hit on Godwin was not, in fact, a hip drop tackle. The NFL made hip-drop tackles illegal this past offseason but have only enforced them with fines, not with flags on the field.

The Bucs lost Mike Evans to a hamstring injury that game as well, but Evans is expected to return to play after the bye week. Godwin, however, will be gone for the season, and he'll have to be replaced by other players like Jalen McMillan, Trey Palmer and Ryan Miller.

READ MORE: Will Daniel Jones Start for the Giants Against the Buccaneers in Week 12?

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River Wells
RIVER WELLS

River Wells is a sports journalist from St. Petersburg, Florida, who has covered the Tampa Bay Buccaneers since 2023. He graduated with a journalism degree from the University of Florida in 2021. You can follow him on Twitter @riverhwells.

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