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FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. — The NFL on Monday fined Atlanta Falcons cornerback Dunta Robinson $40,000 for his hit on Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver Jeremy Maclin.
In addition, Merton Hanks, the NFL's vice president of football operations, told Robinson that as a repeat offender “future offenses will result in an escalation of fines up to and including suspension.”
Robinson was penalized for personal foul on the play, which occurred during the Falcons’ 35-31 victory Sunday night. Last season, a Robinson hit on the Eagles' DeSean Jackson gave both players concussions in a bang-bang play at Philadelphia that kept both players out for several weeks.
In his ruling, Hanks said that Robinson made “forcible” contact with his helmet to Maclin’s head and neck area and that Maclin was a defenseless player under the league’s Rule 12, which governs players in a defenseless posture.
Players are handed a fine schedule during the preseason, and $40,000 is the amount prescribed for a second offense. Robinson can appeal the ruling.
After Sunday's game, Jackson said of Robinson, “I guess that’s what type of player he is. He goes for the kill shot and things like that.”
After his hit on Jackson last season, Robinson was fined $50,000 by the league, but he appealed and the fine was reduced to $25,000. Robinson on Monday disputed the notion he's a dirty player and also said he did not feel vindicated by the reduction in last year's fine.
“I felt like they should’ve gave it all back,” he said. “I know what a dirty player looks like. I’ve seen that before, and neither of these incidents to me were dirty plays. It was in the field of play and it was in between the whistle, so I don’t understand how you can call that dirty.
“Like I say, I’ve played this way for a long time. . . . I’ve been in this league for eight years. You can go back and watch film, year after year, I’ve played hard and I’ve played physical, so I don’t know why now it’s being called dirty football. That’s just the way I play, man. I don’t intentionally go out there and try to hurt people. I play hard.”
Robinson seemed somewhat disappointed that Jackson chose to speak out publicly.
“You know, I’ve heard a lot about that,” Robinson said. “I talked to DeSean last year after that situation happened and we squashed it over the phone. . . . For me, that was good enough. Whatever he’s saying in the media, that’s his opinion. I know that he and I personally talked days after the incident and so it is what it is.
“Like I said, I don’t go out there and maliciously try to take receivers out of the game. I play this way since I was a child. Just this recent, I’m getting flags for playing hard and playing physical.”
Robinson even said he tried to let up on Maclin to avoid a repeat of last season.
“It happened so fast, I don’t think there was (helmet-to-helmet contact),” he said. “I like to try to lead with my shoulder. I was actually thinking about it in mid-play and I knew I wanted to make it a little bit different than, you know, what was last year where two players ended up getting hurt. So I kind of ended up letting up a little bit.
“At the same time, you have to play this game physical. You have to play this game hard and not even worry about those kinds of things.”
He said the referee did not offer him much of an explanation.
“The referee told me he really couldn’t tell,” Robinson said. “It was one of those iffy things. The flag came so late I was kind of walking back to the huddle. I guess because he stayed down that was why they threw the flag, so I definitely wasn’t expecting one on that play. With the fact that I thought about it going into it, it could’ve been a lot worse.”
After the game, Maclin quipped that Robinson was “two-for-two now” — alluding to the hit last year on Jackson.
Robinson said he had to wait to let the league review the play.
“Just wait to see, man,” he said. “I don’t think it was a dirty, vicious hit. It’s just playing football. When you come across the middle, you’re going to get hit and that’s just the name of the game.”
In addition, Merton Hanks, the NFL's vice president of football operations, told Robinson that as a repeat offender “future offenses will result in an escalation of fines up to and including suspension.”
Robinson was penalized for personal foul on the play, which occurred during the Falcons’ 35-31 victory Sunday night. Last season, a Robinson hit on the Eagles' DeSean Jackson gave both players concussions in a bang-bang play at Philadelphia that kept both players out for several weeks.
In his ruling, Hanks said that Robinson made “forcible” contact with his helmet to Maclin’s head and neck area and that Maclin was a defenseless player under the league’s Rule 12, which governs players in a defenseless posture.
Players are handed a fine schedule during the preseason, and $40,000 is the amount prescribed for a second offense. Robinson can appeal the ruling.
After Sunday's game, Jackson said of Robinson, “I guess that’s what type of player he is. He goes for the kill shot and things like that.”
After his hit on Jackson last season, Robinson was fined $50,000 by the league, but he appealed and the fine was reduced to $25,000. Robinson on Monday disputed the notion he's a dirty player and also said he did not feel vindicated by the reduction in last year's fine.
“I felt like they should’ve gave it all back,” he said. “I know what a dirty player looks like. I’ve seen that before, and neither of these incidents to me were dirty plays. It was in the field of play and it was in between the whistle, so I don’t understand how you can call that dirty.
“Like I say, I’ve played this way for a long time. . . . I’ve been in this league for eight years. You can go back and watch film, year after year, I’ve played hard and I’ve played physical, so I don’t know why now it’s being called dirty football. That’s just the way I play, man. I don’t intentionally go out there and try to hurt people. I play hard.”
Robinson seemed somewhat disappointed that Jackson chose to speak out publicly.
“You know, I’ve heard a lot about that,” Robinson said. “I talked to DeSean last year after that situation happened and we squashed it over the phone. . . . For me, that was good enough. Whatever he’s saying in the media, that’s his opinion. I know that he and I personally talked days after the incident and so it is what it is.
“Like I said, I don’t go out there and maliciously try to take receivers out of the game. I play this way since I was a child. Just this recent, I’m getting flags for playing hard and playing physical.”
Robinson even said he tried to let up on Maclin to avoid a repeat of last season.
“It happened so fast, I don’t think there was (helmet-to-helmet contact),” he said. “I like to try to lead with my shoulder. I was actually thinking about it in mid-play and I knew I wanted to make it a little bit different than, you know, what was last year where two players ended up getting hurt. So I kind of ended up letting up a little bit.
“At the same time, you have to play this game physical. You have to play this game hard and not even worry about those kinds of things.”
He said the referee did not offer him much of an explanation.
“The referee told me he really couldn’t tell,” Robinson said. “It was one of those iffy things. The flag came so late I was kind of walking back to the huddle. I guess because he stayed down that was why they threw the flag, so I definitely wasn’t expecting one on that play. With the fact that I thought about it going into it, it could’ve been a lot worse.”
After the game, Maclin quipped that Robinson was “two-for-two now” — alluding to the hit last year on Jackson.
Robinson said he had to wait to let the league review the play.
“Just wait to see, man,” he said. “I don’t think it was a dirty, vicious hit. It’s just playing football. When you come across the middle, you’re going to get hit and that’s just the name of the game.”
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