NFL fines James Farrior $15,000 for hitting Kerry Collins

Posted by Michael David Smith on September 30, 2011, 2:17 PM EDT
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The NFL has fined Steelers linebacker James Farrior $15,000 for hitting Colts quarterback Kerry Collins on Sunday night, even though Farrior wasn’t penalized.

Farrior says he believes the NFL fined him not because the hit was illegal, but because the NFL wanted to send a message after Collins suffered a concussion.

“No doubt about it,” Farrior told the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. “With everything that’s going on now, I think that’s what happened.”

It appeared that the Farrior hit is what caused Collins’ injury, although the hit in question came during the third quarter and Collins didn’t leave the game until the fourth quarter.

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45 responses to “NFL fines James Farrior $15,000 for hitting Kerry Collins”

  2. Goodell and his cronies are going to find a way to fine the players no matter what they do so they might as well get their money’s worth.

  4. Farrior lucky it wasn’t considered a hate crime. Most times when you hit an old defenseless street person, that comes up.

  5. If this was a Cowboys player, or a Patriots player, or any NY player, then he would be given allowed to do whatever he wants to a QB.

    But if a Steeler even thinks about shaking a QBs hand, he will get a penalty. It NFL law now.

  6. If a hit on the field draws no flag, I assume that the hit was legal. It is not right to come back later and say it was illegal.
    There will soon be a backlash on all these fines being given out when the refs doesn’t throw a flag. Roger Goodell is an idiot and needs to go. Did he even play high school football?

  8. Good, hard, clean hit. He was already in motion when the ball was released. Only a flag because QB’s wear skirts these days. And cause Collins is 500 years old…BTW Farrior is 500 years old too so it was elderly on elderly crime. No flag or fine needed.

  10. James Farrior should be charged with assault. Kerry Collins has a white beard, the dude looks like he could be 60.

  11. How about, instead of griping about how the Steelers always get called for this, the NFL has a talk with Mike Tomlin, et al, and explain that: YOU’RE NOT SUPPOSED TO COACH THIS?

  12. dickroy says:
    Sep 30, 2011 2:31 PM
    If a hit on the field draws no flag, I assume that the hit was legal. It is not right to come back later and say it was illegal.
    ————————————————

    I get where your coming from, but it’s wuite obvious that refs miss tons of things in games these days.
    Now, if the player is going to be fined, shouldn’t the ref who didn’t make the call be fined as well?

  14. Remember now, you can’t hit a Colts QB. He is Manning’s back up. You can’t hit a Brady back up either. Those are the rules.

  17. If he would have lowered his shoulder it would have been a legal hit. He kept his head up and hit helmet to facemask. There should have been a flag, but since it was not Tom Brady they looked the other way.

  19. Yep, saw this fine coming a mile away. Seems like it’s the ref’s way of saying…”Ooops! Sorry!”

    Flag it, don’t fine it. JUST MAKE THE DANG CALL REF!

  21. There’s a huge difference between a HARD hit, and an ILLEGAL hit. Goodell and the league need to start realizing this.

    Not sure which this one was, I didn’t see it.

  22. I’m starting to wonder if the QB is not wearing the special concussion preventative helmets then it’s he (or she) who should be fined when they receive a concussion.

  24. Dear Mr. webmaster-

    please ban any comments that include the following:

    – “Que the (whatever)…”

    – Anything where someone predicts negative responses in a “3…..2….1….” format

    – “Stay classy (whomever)”

    – Comments from Steeler fans!

    That’s it for now, I’ll update as I go along..

  25. It’s funny cuz I was talking to my dad this morning(he’s 64) and he was talking about how Goodell is ruining the game. He said it used to be a game for men and that players didn’t used to whine and cry when they took hits or got hurt. Now with the increased protection of players guys are crying if they get tackled hard. So yet another fine for a play that wasn’t flagged on the field after someone in a suit watched the super slow-mo replay 20 times. I’m a Steeler fan but I’m a football fan first. And this new era of football doesn’t anger me it makes me sad. Kiss the days of hard hitting, tough football goodbye. Say hello to 42-35 games every week. That way of thinking really worked great for the NBA. Nice job GODell. Way to ruin a great game.

  28. There goes the NFL picking on the poor witttle Steelers again.

    Must be because they were the only team NOT to ratify the CBA due to the HGH testing clause.

  29. The NFL should just change the rule to “If you hit a player too hard you will get fined”. Because right now the fines do not match what the rules say. Its all subjective.

  30. Come on watching the replay, that hit is done Sunday in and Sunday out. I think Farrior has a good point. With Vic’s post game rants the league had to act as if they cared. If the refs don’t see it, God-del is telling he has no convidence in what they see on the field. They can fine for anyting they want, may be for safety, I still believe the game is going backwasrds.

  33. The Colts should pay the fine for him, because he did them a big favor. They still wont be that good, but maybe they now will have at least half a chance with Collins out.

  34. Awful lot if fines since Goodell’s been around. I’ve heard that the player fine money goes to charity….isn’t that a tx write-off fir the league?…..just sayin.

  35. it was a blatant helmet to helmet hit that everyone I was with (Steeler fans…blast living in Western PA) said right away “well there’s 15 yards….” except the flag didn’t come. Anyone that saw this knows it was the definition of a helmet to helmet hit. But no, the Steeler fans (or at least some of them…the most vocal ones that give the down to earth, not so full of themselves kind a bad name) need to cry.

  36. You’re telling me Collins got hit by a Steeler and he didn’t die?

    Impressive, old timer!!!

    I don’t know if Goddell should fine him, but Farrior should at least be under investigation from Indiana Adult Protective Services for abuse of the elderly.

  37. I guess if he played for the browns I’d have a little different view.
    but you know no one wants to loose a player on their team just because someone is Intentionally going for the head.
    .trying to hurt a defenseless player
    …and that’s what he’s done over and over and over.. .go Browns.

  40. I love the “if there is no penalty called there should be no fine” comments. That’s akin to saying “hey, the cashier didn’t see me steal that DVD so they shouldn’t be able to bust me by reviewing the store surveillance tapes.”

  41. Oh, so now a defender whose hit MAY have injured a QB is going to be fined now? Sure, the zebras make mistakes, but really now. This is a bit much. I mean, Old Man Collins stayed until the FOURTH quarter, and I presume he took hits, so how does Goodell, the Amazing Kreskin , know for sure that it was Farrior’s hit that gave Collins the concussion? If the NFL is going to pull this nonsense, can Bernard Pollard be retroactively be fined and suspended for the Brady hit then? I mean, that idea is just as ridiculous as GODell’s fine on Farrior.

  45. How can you haters keep saying the league is trying to “cheat” games in favor of the Steelers when they keep doing stuff like this to them for perfectly legal hits? It’s total BS.

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