Carolina Panthers Jon Beason fined, plans to appeal
In what it deemed to be yet another act of swift and steady justice, the NFL fined Carolina Panthers linebacker Jon Beason $10,000 on Thursday 11 November for his helmet-to-helmet collision with New Orleans Saints wide receiver Marques Colston. However,
according to The Associated Press (AP), Beason feels as though the fine is unwarranted and plans to appeal.
The play in question occurred during the third quarter of last Sunday’s matchup between the Panthers and Saints, which New Orleans went on to win in dominating fashion, 34-3. Beason, who was engaged with another player, went after Colston when the fifth-year
receiver made a seven-yard catch in his general vicinity. The defensive standout, who is in his fourth year out of the University of Miami (FL), acknowledged that he then ducked his head, but argued that he was only doing so to brace for the impending contact.
“It wasn’t like the ball was in the air 40 yards downfield,” Beason asserted, according to the AP. “It was a 4-yard route.” Beason then insinuated that the league’s current policies give an unfair competitive advantage to individuals on the offensive side of
the ball.
“Defensive guys have the right to protect themselves as well,” the 25-year-old said. “I don’t get in that situation what I was supposed to do.”
The play resulted in a 15-yard penalty against Beason, and although he claims that his intent was not malicious, he also understood that the league had essentially no choice but to fine him. “They’re enforcing it right now,” he said, “and they’re going to be
extremely stern about how they handle things and everything that’s ticky-tack they’re going to fine guys.”
Beason hasn’t been the first guy whose finances have been diminished by the NFL this season. After a violent 17 October collision between Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker James Harrison and Cleveland Browns wide receiver Mohamed Massaquoi, the league has been
cracking down on unnecessary helmet-to-helmet contact, and has since been assessing some pretty significant fines to perpetrators around the league.
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