The NFL penalized Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker Kwon Alexander over a hard tackle during an Aug. 11 preseason matchup against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
During the first quarter of the Bucs-Steelers contest, Alexander sent Buccaneers running back Chase Edmonds to the ground with a hard hit. The officials flagged Alexander with unnecessary roughness for lowering his head to make forcible contact with Edmonds. The NFL has since fined Alexander $43,709 for the tackle.
The hefty fine is in part due to Alexander’s status as a repeat offender. Alexander was also fined for the same offense when he played for the New York Jets last season.
The NFL fined #Steelers LB Kwon Alexander $43,709 for unnecessary roughness in last week’s preseason game against Tampa Bay.
These types of hits with the head lowered are a point of emphasis this season. Alexander was fined for the same offense in 2022.pic.twitter.com/hY9en1qB4R
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) August 19, 2023
The NFL has made helmet safety an emphasis going into the 2023 season. The league now has additional rules in place to penalize such hits during a game.
One example is the new 15-yard penalty if a player uses any part of the helmet or face mask to make forcible contact to a player’s head or neck area.
Alexander signed a one-year, $1.3M contract with the Steelers in July. The one-time Pro Bowler played in all 17 games for the Jets last season. He finished with 69 combined tackles and 0.5 sacks.
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