Buccaneers safety Cody Grimm drew a 15-yard penalty for launching into Panthers tight end Dante Rosario in last Sunday’s game, and now he’s drawn a $7,500 fine.
Grimm has an excuse, however: He says it was Rosario who ducked his own head down, making it look like Grimm had been aiming at Rosario’s head when Grimm was really aiming lower.
“I think he was trying to duck out of my hit,’' Grimm said, per the St. Petersburg Times. “And my shoulder caught his head. Literally, it was like a backside dig [route]. They said I launched. He started to get down and just dipped right into my shoulder-head combo I guess.”
But Grimm seems to know that the NFL’s policy is that it’s the defensive player’s responsibility to avoid the offensive player, and that’s why he was penalized and fined.
“Whatever,” Grimm said. “I can’t do anything about it now.’'