NFL Fines Saquon Barkley for Unnecessary Roughness vs. Eagles

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

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. 

Another big running back fine: The NFL docked #Giants star Saquon Barkley $21,855 for unnecessary roughness on this play last week.

The league has been cracking down all season on players lowering their heads to initiate contact. pic.twitter.com/jp1k87PUUC

— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) December 30, 2023

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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