Minnesota Vikings safety Harrison Smith cost his team 15 yards for an unnecessary roughness penalty for a hit on Chicago Bears quarterback Mitchell Trubisky in Week 11.
The penalty will now cost Smith some money.
The league fined Smith $10,026 for the infraction, NFL Network's Tom Pelissero reported. Smith plans to appeal, Pelissero added.
The specific play occurred at the 3:13 mark of the fourth quarter on a designed run play on first-and-10. Trubisky gained 5 yards around the left side of the line of scrimmage before lunging head first and sliding on his knees to give himself up on the play. Harrison hit the Bears' signal-caller across the left shoulder area as Trubisky leaned forward to draw the yellow flag.
Quarterbacks have often slid feet first, much like a baseball slide, to end a play in the past. The league, however, made it a point of emphasis for this season that a quarterback did not have to slide feet first to give himself up.
The penalty had deeper implications for the game, as the Vikings trailed at that point, 22-14, and needed a defensive stop to get the ball back with time winding down.
