In the biggest fine for on-field misconduct that the NFL has handed down so far this season, Giants safety Kenny Phillips has been docked $30,000 for a helmet-to-helmet hit on Buccaneers receiver Vincent Jackson.
It was a brutal hit while Jackson was in a defenseless posture, and it’s not surprising that it resulted in a hefty fine. Phillips was fined three times last season for hits to defenseless receivers, and he said after the third fine that he doesn’t plan to change the way he plays.
And so the fines keep coming. If Phillips doesn’t get the message soon, the NFL may resort to a suspension.
Now the question is what the NFL plans to do about the replacement officials who let Phillips’ hit go.