NFL May Fine Tom Brady for Kicking at Falcons Defender, per Report

The play in question was already highly scrutinized this week because of a controversial roughing the passer penalty.

The NFL is reportedly looking into the controversial roughing the passer penalty committed by Falcons defender Grady Jarrett on Buccaneers quarterback Tom Brady this past weekend, to determine if Brady attempted to kick Jarrett and whether his actions warrant a fine, a source told the Associated Press. 

The league typically announces fines for the previous weekend’s games on Friday. Fines for kicking are $10,500 for a first offense and $15,500 for a second offense. 

The play in question was a widely discussed topic of conversation following Sunday’s Week 5 slate. The Bucs held a 21–15 lead and faced a 3rd-and-5 from the Atlanta 47-yard line when Brady was sacked by Jarrett, in what was seemingly a huge momentum play for the Falcons. However, the officials issued a penalty for roughing the passer, extending Tampa Bay’s drive and allowing Brady to run out the rest of the clock.

Jarrett was penalized for “unnecessarily throwing Brady to the ground,” according to the game’s referee Jerome Boger, but video showed that the exchange between the two players continued after the play. As the two attempted to get back to their feet, Brady appeared to kick at Jarrett, but did not make contact.

Unsurprisingly, the Bucs quarterback was in a positive mood about the entire situation after the fact, joking on his podcast by saying, “I don’t throw the flags. What I do throw is tablets.”

Jarrett on the other hand, was still searching for answers as to why he was penalized for the sack in the days following the game. 

“Just looking back on it, I’m still kind of left clueless,” Jarrett said, per ESPN. “On what I’m expected to do in that situation.”

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