Linebacker Kwon Alexander of the Pittsburgh Steelers was caught going against the NFL rules that were put in place to try and ensure helmet safety. The linebacker got charged with the same conduct prior to this season after receiving a $6264 punishment for unnecessary roughness against the New Orleans Saints last season.
Usually, the NFL has major penalties for one-time offenses and after Kwon’s repeated acts of violation, the governing body decided to hit him with a major repercussion which should serve as a warning for his peers.
Why was Kwon Alexander fined $43,709?
On August 11, Alexander received an intentional misconduct penalty for a tackle on Tampa Bay Buccaneers player Chase Edmonds during the Steelers’ preseason opener against the Buccaneers. Alexander allegedly dipped his head to forcefully make helmet contact with Chase in the closing two minutes of the first quarter.
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
As soon as the NFL authorities learned about it, they took action by penalizing the linebacker $43,709 for using the helmet improperly. The player punishment is considered to be a legitimate and ideal choice to minimize this type of reprehensible behavior on an NFL field because the $43,709 is standard for the second level of breach.
Steelers vs Bucs NFL preseason game match summary
In their first recent preseason matchup, the Pittsburgh Steelers defeated the Buccaneers 27-17. The Buccaneers were forced to play without their top two receivers, top running back, and three starting offensive linemen, which nearly gave the game to the Steelers.
Baker Mayfield of the Steelers had a great start, completing eight of nine passes for 63 yards and one touchdown while throwing no interceptions. On the contrary, Kyle Trask of the Bucs entered the match with a few minutes remaining in the first half and put out a strong effort. Trask played the majority of the game, completing six out of ten attempts for 99 yards and one interception.
The Bucs’ defense limited Pittsburgh’s offensive attempts with a total of 12 penalties for 127 yards, holding them to just 306 total yards while getting interceptions from two second-year players. However, with their whole starting offense, the Steelers took over at the Buccaneers’ 47 and quickly gained 17 yards by utilizing WR Calvin Austin’s end-around.
With drives of 20 and 22 yards, along with a dart thrown to Durham just inside the goal line, John Wolford, who suffered a neck injury in the second half, helped the Bucs escape their dire situation.
The Steelers are now slated to meet the Atlanta Falcons on Thursday, August 24 for their Week 3 game.
