Saquon Barkley fined $45,020 for lowering his helmet into a defender

Eagles running back Saquon Barkley is the latest ball carrier to get a harsh penalty from the league office for an action that didn’t draw a penalty from the officials on the field.

The NFL has fined Barkley $45,020 for what the league officially called “Unnecessary Roughness (use of the helmet).”

On the play in question, Barkley and Browns defensive tackle Maurice Hurst had a head-on collision. Both players lowered their helmets, and the tops of their helmets both hit each other, but only Barkley was fined. Hurst was not fined.

Many NFL players have complained about a lack of consistency from the NFL, with hits that aren’t penalized by the officials resulting in significant discipline from the league office. This is another instance of that.

Barkley’s fine was the biggest fine handed out in the NFL this week and one of the biggest in the NFL this season.