Patriots WR Julian Edelman Slapped With Fine For Hit In Season Opener

Image via Zimbio

The NFL has fined New England Patriots receiver Julian Edelman for a hit during Sunday’s opening game against the Arizona Cardinals.

Patriots WR Julian Edelman was fined $26k for a hit on a defenseless player in season opener. He plans to appeal, per a source.

— Mike Reiss (@MikeReiss) September 15, 2016

While there’s no official confirmation on which hit it was, the fine is likely drawn from a hit against Arizona defender Deone Bucannon.

LRT: Gonna guess this was the hit that earned Edelman his fine. https://t.co/5yiEYUjM2P

— Zack Cox (@zm_cox) September 15, 2016

If that is indeed where the fine came from, Edelman’s launching at Bucannon certainly didn’t help his cause. The hit didn’t look especially egregious but the NFL has certainly disciplined players for less in recent years.

We shouldn’t be surprised to see this. These are certainly the hits that the NFL wants to legislate out of football.

After several days worth of scrutiny that came as a result of the hits that Denver Broncos defenders put on Carolina Panthers star Cam Newton, extra sensitivity on the NFL’s part regarding hard hits near the head was and will continue to be expected.