Dolphins Safety Fined For These Two Illegal Hits Vs. Patriots
Matthew Slater’s prediction proved correct: Dolphins safety DeShon Elliott was indeed fined for his helmet-to-helmet hit on Patriots wide receiver DeVante Parker last week.
But that wasn’t the only fine Elliott received after Miami’s Week 8 win, nor the largest.
According to the NFL’s latest disciplinary report, which was released Saturday, Elliott was fined $9,833 for the hit that landed Parker in concussion protocol and $43,709 for a tackle on running back Rhamondre Stevenson earlier in the game.
Neither hit drew a penalty during the game, and the one on Parker was far more egregious, raising the question of whether the league mislabeled the two fines. Either way, Elliott’s actions cost him more than $50,000 — no small sum for a player whose base salary this season is a modest $1.08 million.
Parker missed the rest of the game following Elliott’s hit, and though he returned to practice Friday, the Patriots ruled him out for this Sunday’s matchup with the Washington Commanders at Gillette Stadium.
Patriots wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster was not fined for his hit on Dolphins safety Brandon Jones that sparked a late-game scuffle. Smith-Schuster was adamant after the game that the hit was “clean.” The league evidently agreed.