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NFL Fines Saquon Barkley for Unnecessary Roughness vs. Eagles

The NFL fines Barkley for a play that wasn't flagged.

Patricia Traina

NFL Fines Saquon Barkley for Unnecessary Roughness vs. Eagles
NFL Fines Saquon Barkley for Unnecessary Roughness vs. Eagles /
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New York Giants running back Saquon Barkley was fined $21,855 by the league for unnecessary roughness stemming from a play in the team's Christmas Day loss to the Philadelphia Eagles.

The play in question came late in the second quarter when Barkley lowered his head and made contact with an Eagles defender. 

Although Barkley wasn't penalized for the play, it still apparently falls into the bucket of the league seeking to eliminate having players lower their heads and use their helmets as weapons. 

Barkley, who has always taken pride in how he plays the game, appeared to be trying to push the pile on the play, as it didn't appear that he purposely lowered his head for malicious intent.

Still, with the league pushing for player safety, this type of play will be called every time during review, leaving those caught in the middle of it lighter in the pocket.

 

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Patricia Traina
PATRICIA TRAINA

Patricia Traina has covered the New York Giants for 30+ seasons, and her work has appeared in multiple media outlets, including The Athletic, Forbes, Bleacher Report, and the Sports Illustrated media group. As a credentialed New York Giants press corps member, Patricia has also covered five Super Bowls (three featuring the Giants), the annual NFL draft, and the NFL Scouting Combine. She is the author of The Big 50: The Men and Moments that Made the New York Giants. In addition to her work with New York Giants On SI, Patricia hosts the Locked On Giants podcast. Patricia is also a member of the Pro Football Writers of America and the Football Writers Association of America.

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