Tim Dobbins fined $30K for hit on Bears quarterback Jay Cutler

Tim Dobbins was fined $30K for a hit on Jay Cutler. (Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images)

Tackling Chicago Bears quarterback Jay Cutler hasn't come without its consequences lately.

Three weeks after NFL bad boy Ndamukong Suh of the Detroit Lions was publicly criticized for what the Bears' Brandon Marshall said was a "wrestling" hit on his quarterback, the Houston Texans' Tim Dobbins has now been fined $30,000 by the league for a Nov. 11 hit on Cutler that left the quarterback in a concussion, according to a tweet Wednesday afternoon from Adam Schefter of ESPN.com.

Dobbins, who will reportedly appeal the fine, claims he didn't hit Cutler in the helmet-to-helmet incident, rather Cutler ran into him. There was an illegal forward pass call on Cutler after the play because he had crossed the line of scrimmage, as well as an unncessary roughness call.

According to CSNChicago, Dobbins said he hit Cutler because he thought he was going to make a run for it on third down and that it seemed that Cutler had already crossed the line of scrimmage. Dobbins also contends that he didn't lead with his helmet and that although he's worried about it, he still believes it was a clean hit:

“I did not hit him in his head, and actually he ran into me. I just felt like he was going to take off and run with the ball and I thought he was past the line.”

Cutler hadn't displayed signs of a concussion immediately after the play, but he was held out of the second half after tests done during intermission showed otherwise. Acording to ESPN, Dobbins said he's happy that he was able to take Cutler out of the game, which the Texans won, adding that it's something he always wants to do.

"But it was good that he was out, though. I mean you always want to take the quarterback out of the game. I hit him in his chest. I did not hit him in his head. Nowhere near it. I did not touch his helmet."

Bears coach Lovie Smith said Wednesday that Cutler is "getting better" but that his status is still uncertain for Monday night when the team will be in San Francisco for a game against the 49ers.

https://twitter.com/AdamSchefter/status/268798761386524672