Detroit Lions

Buccaneers Player Hit With HUGE Fine for Incident vs. Lions

Tampa Bay Buccaneers running back Rachaad White was handed the NFL’s largest fine of Week 7 for his actions during the matchup against the Detroit Lions.

White received a $46,371 fine for unnecessary roughness — specifically, for the illegal use of the helmet against Lions safety Erick Hallett during Monday night’s game. Although officials did not throw a flag on the play, video replays clearly showed a violation of the rule. Here’s what the rule states:

A player commits a foul if he:
(a) lowers his head and makes forcible contact with his helmet against an opponent; or
(b) uses any part of his helmet or facemask to strike or make forcible contact with an opponent.

Importantly, the rulebook does not distinguish whether the infraction comes from an offensive or defensive player. While these calls are typically made against defenders, the rule applies equally to both sides of the ball.

The steep fine amount stems from two factors. First, White is considered a repeat offender. Last season, he was fined $45,020 for a nearly identical illegal helmet use against the Las Vegas Raiders.

Under the NFL’s current fine schedule, a first-time violation for illegal helmet use costs $23,186, while second or subsequent offenses result in a $46,371 penalty. Among all game-day violations, only fighting ($40,686 for a first offense, $81,374 for repeat) or physical/verbal assault of an official ($32,547/$65,100) carry comparable fines.

White was the only Tampa Bay player penalized financially following the game. The Detroit Lions also had one fined player — defensive end Tyrus Wheat — who was docked $5,722 for an uncalled tripping incident that occurred on a late-game sack.

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