Rams defensive tackle Aaron Donald picked up back-to-back 15-yard penalties in Monday night’s ugly loss in San Francisco, and the NFL has hit him in the wallet.
Donald was fined a total of $21,269 for his two penalties, with a $9,115 fine for unnecessary roughness and a $12,154 fine for contact with an official, which got him ejected from the game.
It was a disappointing opener for the Rams for plenty of reasons beyond just Donald. But he’s supposed to be their best player, and the Rams can’t afford for Donald to be costing them 15-yard penalties and getting kicked out of games.
Perhaps a fine will incentivize Donald to keep his head in the future. And then the Rams can focus on their many other problems.