Indianapolis, IN
Colts Anthony Richardson fined for unnecessary roughness. (Yup, the quarterback)
INDIANAPOLIS — Colts quarterback Anthony Richardson has been known to deliver a blow when he’s on the move.
The NFL believes he took it too far last week.
Richardson was fined $22,511 for use of the helmet last week, an unnecessary roughness penalty designed to keep ballcarriers from leading with their heads.
The Colts quarterback was fined for using his helmet to run through Lions safety Brian Branch on a 17-yard run near the end of the third quarter of Sunday’s loss to Detroit.
The rule has been around for a long time, but penalizing offensive players for the infraction has been an emphasis for only the past couple of seasons.
Richardson is the second quarterback to draw the fine this season; the other was Cowboys backup Trey Lance, who was fined two weeks ago for a play against the Eagles.
The play likely does not sit well with a Colts team that believes Richardson has been unfairly penalized for his size and physical running style this season. Indianapolis submitted at least two of the hits Richardson took in the season opener to the NFL for review, only to be rebuffed on review; none of the Texans were fined for their hits on Richardson in that game.