NFL Fines Jaguars’ Andre Cisco for Hit on Chiefs’ WR JuJu Smith-Schuster
The NFL has stepped in and made their decision on Andre Cisco's physical hit of Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster.
According to NFL Network's Tom Pelissero, the NFL fined the Jacksonville Jaguars safety a total of $6,612 for unnecessary roughness as a result of the hit, which concussed Smith-Schuster. Smith-Schuster is set to miss Week 11 due to the concussion protocol.
Cisco delivered two physical hits during the game on Smith-Schuster and Chiefs receiver Marques Valdes-Scantling, but neither hit was penalized. Chiefs head coach Andy Reid and Chiefs players contested this decision after the game.
"Those hits are … it’s up to the referees. I’m obviously leading with my shoulder. That’s how I hit usually. I’ve seen the replay and it looked like it was close but no call," Cisco said.
"Yeah, it’s tough man. I don’t think there was any like ill-intent from the player. I mean he’s just trying to knock the ball loose and do stuff like that but obviously there was some helmet-to-helmet contact, and we want to get that out of the league as much as possible for player safety," Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes said after the game.
"So, if we can review that and kind of make it to where there can be some type of penalty or something. I mean obviously you want to get that stuff out of the league as much as possible.”
Cisco recorded three tackles, two pass-breakups and an interception in Week 10, leaving the week with one of the highest PFF grades of any defender last week. But now, the former third-round pick will have to put forth some cash as a result of one of his defining plays of the game.
“Yeah, they said that he hit with his shoulder and so that’s why they picked it up. You hit somebody in the head, you’re hitting in the head, but they said it was shoulder-to-shoulder is what they said," Reid said after the game. "And he obviously was in (a) pretty bad position there for any shoulder-to-shoulder (contact).”
