NFL Errs in Punishment for Malicious 'Gator Roll' Tackle Against Seahawks RB Chris Carson
In large part due to pressure from concussion-related lawsuits, the NFL has placed added emphasis on player safety over the past decade. With a number of rule changes and different protocols in place, including for COVID-19 this year, the league wants fans to believe keeping players healthy remains of the utmost importance.
But how can commissioner Roger Goodell and his minions in the league office seriously claim to care about safety and well-being of NFL players when dirty hits like the one Cowboys defensive tackle Trysten Hill levied against Seahawks running back Chris Carson leads to a... $6,522 fine? That's it?
For most Americans, that would be a steep price to pay. If I received a fine like that for doing something wrong, it'd be more than enough of a wake-up call. But for an NFL player like Hill who will make more than a million dollars in the second year of his rookie deal, that's pocket change.
And really, this isn't about money. It's about eliminating the dirty hit Hill made on Carson from the sport completely. To make that happen, punishments have to have weight to them and this certainly doesn't.
Early in the fourth quarter of Seattle's 38-31 win over Dallas last Sunday, Hill latched onto Carson's left foot and brought him to the ground for a shoestring tackle. If he would have stopped there, he would have been praised for an excellent play limiting one of the NFL's best running backs to a short gain.
But with clear intent, Hill executed a "gator roll" tackle, rolling over the top of Carson's right leg while continuing to yank his left leg over his right shoulder. The star running back immediately clutched his knee and laid on the turf for several minutes after trainers rushed out to tend to him, eventually managing to walk gingerly off the field on his own power.
Watching the cringe-inducing replay several times, it's a miracle Carson didn't suffer substantial ligament damage. Somehow, he has a good chance to play for the Seahawks when they travel to face the Dolphins without missing a single game. That's certainly relieving news.
But it doesn't matter whether Carson wound up being fine or not. That's irrelevant in this case. The NFL badly missed the mark here when Goodell and other league officials had a great opportunity to show they aren't just conducting lip service when they talk about prioritizing player safety.
While the NFL has made strides in reducing head injuries by penalizing defenders for illegal hits in the head and neck area that used to be celebrated, the fact Hill wasn't immediately ejected provides more than enough evidence on its own accord that the league has a long, long way to go. Add in the fact he also nailed quarterback Russell Wilson on a helmet-to-helmet hit later in the game, he shouldn't be suiting up this weekend.
Maybe Hill will learn from being fined a total of roughly $13,000. If that's the case, good for him. But he could have easily ended Carson's season or even career on a type of tackle that is completely avoidable. If the league really wants any of us to believe the well-being of players actually matters to them, they would have made an example out of him by swiftly putting the hammer down with a suspension. Or at least a far more substantial fine.
Unfortunately, as they've done too many times to keep track of over the years, however, Goodell and the NFL showed their true colors with a laughable slap on the wrist, illustrating their commitment to safety to be insincere at best.
