Green Bay Packers linebacker Clay Matthews has been fined $22,050 by the NFL for making this illegal blindside hit on Seattle Seahawks’ quarterback Russell Wilson in last weekend’s NFC Championship game.
Matthews has a reputation for taking some cheap hits on quarterbacks. Fortunately for the Packers linebacker, who outweighs Wilson by 52 pounds, Seattle’s signal caller didn’t suffer an injury. That would have set in motion a much bigger fine.
While some don’t believe the hit was illegal, one scribe is suggesting that it was more serious than Inflate-gate.
I still think Clay Matthews cheap shot against Russell Wilson is a much bigger deal than deflated footballs.
— Frank Isola (@TheFrankIsola) January 22, 2015
That’s certainly taking the matter from one extreme to the next. From the video film above and the slow motion action of Wilson’s neck looking like it nearly turned around backwards, the hit looks pretty dirty.
Matthews, who was asked about the hit, answered as if he had done nothing wrong (via ESPN.com).
I was just blocking whoever and it turned out to be the quarterback and obviously calls are going to go in their direction whether it was a blind-side hit or whatever. I’m just looking to pick up a block and unfortunately that’s just how the game played out.
The hit on Wilson took place in the second quarter after an interception return by Green Bay Packers’ rookie safety Ha Ha Clinton-Dix.
Blindside or whatever, as Matthews says, he’ll for forking over a big chunk of change after we see him hit the field and hopefully nobody else in this Sunday’s Pro Bowl.