Seattle Seahawks CB Devon Witherspoon Fined by NFL
Seattle Seahawks rookie cornerback Devon Witherspoon has been fined $10,927 for an unnecessary roughness penalty he had in Seattle’s 17-16 loss to the Los Angeles Rams on Nov. 19, per NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero.
Witherspoon, who has already built a reputation for his aggressive and hard-hitting style of play, might have taken things a bit too far when he slammed Rams receiver Austin Trammell to the ground to complete a tackle. While the play certainly got the Seahawks pumped up on the sideline, the body slam drew a flag and was one of 12 penalties for the Seahawks in the loss.
The fine comes two days after the Seahawks suffered a embarrassing 31-13 Thanksgiving loss to the San Francisco 49ers on Thursday.
Devon Witherspoon
© Steven Bisig-USA TODAY Sports
Despite Seattle’s recent slump, Witherspoon has continued to stake his claim as the potential favorite for Defensive Rookie of the Year honors. This season, he’s posted 57 total tackles, three sacks, one forced fumble, one interception and one touchdown.
His best game came in the 24-3 win over the New York Giants in Week 4. In the win, Witherspoon posted seven total tackles (six solo), two sacks and had what was essentially a game-sealing 97-yard interception return for a touchdown.
"I never thought he wouldn't play like this," Seahawks coach Pete Carroll said after the Giants game. "This is why we took him, to be active and to show that he gets this game of football, and it comes easy to him, and he's an explosive, dynamic player.”
The Seahawks will look to move to 3-0 against the NFC East this season when they visit the Dallas Cowboys on Thursday.
