Eagles Defensive Tackle Goes Unpunished After Hit to Mahomes’ Face

Milton Williams fined for dunking on crossbar but Jalen Carter gets off after blasting quarterback in face

Feb 9, 2025; New Orleans, LA, USA; Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes (15) is sacked by Philadelphia Eagles defensive tackle Jalen Carter (98) and defensive tackle Milton Williams (93) during the fourth quarter in Super Bowl LIX at Caesars Superdome. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Perhaps not positioned at the correct angle, NFL officials missed another shot to a quarterback’s helmet in last week’s Super Bowl. And after film review, the league made matters worse by opting not to fine the guilty party.

With under 10 minutes remaining in a 37-6 game, Milton Williams overpowered Mike Caliendo for a strip-sack on Patrick Mahomes. Williams recovered the fumble at the Chiefs’ 18-yard line. But a split second after Williams jarred the ball loose, Jalen Carter blasted Mahomes in the facemask with his left hand.

“Whoa, he got hit in the face and they missed it,” said FOX play-by-play man Kevin Burkhardt, reviewing a replay of Carter’s hit.

The NFL didn’t fine #Eagles DT Jalen Carter for his apparent hit to Patrick Mahomes’ helmet in the fourth quarter of Super Bowl LIX.

However, Milton Williams was fined $14,069 for dunking over the crossbar after the ensuing strip-sack. pic.twitter.com/Z3o4bF54rx

— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) February 15, 2025

What they didn’t miss was Williams dancing to the crossbar for a celebratory dunk, drawing a 15-yard unsportsmanlike penalty. The ensuing decision to fine Williams $14,069 also was a slam dunk for the league, since using the ball as a prop is prohibited. Carter, however, escaped the league’s weekly list of fines.

Carter’s hit on Mahomes was at least the third significant hit to a quarterback’s helmet missed by NFL officials in 2024. Late in a Thursday night win over Minnesota to kick off Week 8, Rams linebacker Byron Young clearly grabbed Sam Darnold’s facemask in the end zone. Young, who seemed to show guilt with his body language after taking down Darnold in the end zone, got credit for a sack and safety in a 30-20 win.

Then, on a Monday night in Week 14, the Cowboys’ Marist Liufau clearly twisted Joe Burrow’s facemask on a fourth-quarter strip-sack.

Ironically, per SI’s Albert Breer, each of the last three years the Rams have sent proposals to the NFL’s Competition Committee to make facemask penalties, blows to the head and roughing the passer calls reviewable by replay. Denied each time by the committee, Los Angeles actually benefitted from those decisions in the wins earlier in the seasons.

Troy Vincent, the NFL’s executive vice president of football operations, said in December that the Competition Committee is expected to discuss providing the officials with technological assistance to correct these missed calls in the future.

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