It’s little consolation now, but the NFL fined Philadelphia Eagles linebacker Oren Burks for illegally hitting Green Bay Packers running back Keisean Nixon during the opener of Sunday’s NFC Wild Card Round, according to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero.
Burks, a former Packer, was fined $8,333 for an unnecessary roughness violation stemming from illegal employ of a helmet.
Replays showed Burks hit Nixon in the helmet with his own helmet after the fumble-inducing hit. No penalty was imposed, but the fine shows that the NFL’s review of the game found a violation worthy of a penalty.
The Eagles made up for Nixon’s foul and took an early 7-0 lead.
After losing 22-10, Nixon believed the hit should have been penalized and thought he had regained his footing. If the play had been penalized, the fumble would have been negated.
Packers defensive lineman TJ Slaton and tight end Lukas Van Ness were each fined $11,255 for unnecessary misconduct in a fourth-quarter penalty against the Eagles.
The NFL did not fine Nixon for an unnecessary roughing penalty against Saquon Barkley in the fourth quarter.
