Bengals Safety Shawn Williams Ejected Following Helmet Hit to Andrew Luck

Williams' hit marked the first ejection of the NFL season.

Bengals safety Shawn Williams became the first NFL player ejected in the 2018 season on Sunday, thrown out after a helmet-to-helmet hit on Colts quarterback Andrew Luck. 

Watch Williams' hit below: 

First ejection of the new helmet rule comes in the first quarter of the very first Sunday. pic.twitter.com/XFgEsXRZ2L

— Warren Sharp (@SharpFootball) September 9, 2018

Williams was flagged for unnecessary roughness on the play. The league office clarified that the ejection, according to the call on the field, was for unnecessary roughness, not the new use-of-helmet rule.

Instituted during the offseason, the helmet rule calls for a personal foul and possible ejection for any player who "lowers his head to initiate and make contact with his helmet against an opponent."

The new rule drew significant controversy in the preseason, with a rash of questionable flags thrown as the league sorted out what contact would draw a personal foul. Vikings coach Mike Zimmer even said that the new rule will, "cost some people some jobs."

The Bengals beat the Colts 34–23.