The NFL has fined Clay Matthews to the tune of $18,231 for a sack in which he led with the crown of his helmet — a hit ESPN’s Rob Demovsky believes led to Brian Hoyer’s broken arm.
Hoyer broke his arm last week on a play in which he was the ham in a sandwich between Clay Matthews and Julius Peppers.
It wasn’t pretty, and Hoyer immediately left the field, unable to move his left arm. Even before the game was over, head coach John Fox confirmed Hoyer’s arm had been broken.
By no means did Matthews’ hit on Hoyer appear to be intentionally vicious. However, any hits on quarterbacks with the crown of a defender’s helmet are supposed to be automatic penalties. This particular instance did not result in a personal foul, but upon further video review the league ruled it as such.
Hoyer’s injury gave way for Jay Cutler to play once again for the Bears. He’ll be starting behind center this weekend when Chicago hosts the Minnesota Vikings.
As for Matthews, he’s dealing with a hamstring injury that could keep him out of Green Bay’s upcoming game against the Atlanta Falcons.