Calais Campbell wasn't flagged for his low hit on Cam Newton, but the Cardinals defensive lineman will ultimately pay for his Sunday shenanigans.
NFL Media Insider Ian Rapoport reported Wednesday that Campbell was fined $18,231 for tackling the Panthers quarterback below the knees in Carolina's 30-20 win over Arizona, per a source informed of the situation.
Campbell's takedown left Newton crumpled and writhing on the ground. The signal-caller spoke out after the game about the number of late hits he's absorbed this season -- hits that haven't been flagged by game officials. The big-bodied quarterback went so far as to have a "great discussion" on the topic with NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell on Tuesday.
"The nice part was the commissioner was a willing listener," Panthers coach Ron Rivera said Tuesday. "It was great and the nice thing is that (Newton) was able to say what needed to be said. At the end of the day, it's not about getting special treatment, it's about being treated the same across the board."
Rivera has argued that Cam doesn't draw the same flags a smaller quarterback would. Whether or not Cardinals fans buy that into that conceit, Campbell's fine tells us all we need to know about where the league office stands on the debate.
