19 February 2024 , 22:44
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The NFL has slapped a fine on Kansas City Chiefs star Nick Bolton for his rough tackle on San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy during Super Bowl LVIII.
The linebacker was fined $8,238 (£6,542) for his horse-collar tackle in the second quarter of the game. He was the only player to receive a fine for a safety-related violation in the entire match.
Bolton's controversial tackle happened when Purdy was running with the ball. The 23-year-old Bolton reached over Purdy's shoulders and pulled him, but not enough to bring him down.
After the play, Purdy's jersey was noticeably messed up, showing evidence of Bolton's actions. A flag was thrown at the time and, after a week, the league office decided that Bolton's actions deserved a fine.
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Apart from Bolton, L'Jarius Sneed was given the second personal foul called in the game, for unnecessary roughness. However, the NFL chose not to fine Sneed.
In the Super Bowl, Bolton made 13 tackles, five solo tackles, and one tackle for loss against the 49ers. His fine comes after many players and commentators criticised the Chiefs for 'not getting penalised' for offences on their side of the ball.
On social media, users were quick to reference that the Chiefs haven't had a holding penalty called on them in three Super Bowls. The last time they got one was when Byron Pringle was caught holding in Super Bowl LIV.
Nick Bolton was fined for his horse-collar tackle on San Francisco 49ers star Brock Purdy (Photo by Tim Nwachukwu/Getty Images)Houston Texans' J.J. Watt thinks the NFL should make holding penalties less harsh to get refs to call them more. Current rules stipulate if a team holds they lose 10 yards.
"I think the refs understand that a 10-yard penalty is a massive penalty in the NFL," said the 34 year old. "So I think if you made [it] a 5-yard penalty, I think it's going to be called much more fairly and much more realistically. Because it's not as crippling to the offense."
Fans have seen the Chiefs' players holding their rivals just long enough for Patrick Mahomes to do his thing before, so the refs don't notice. Some fans like J.J. Watt's idea, but others don't want too many breaks in the game because it's less fun to watch.