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The Pittsburgh Steelers fan base was annoyed and angry when they saw Earl Thomas hit Mason Rudolph knocking him unconscious and out of the game. They wanted him thrown out of the game, but the only thing the NFL did was deliver a 15-yard penalty on the Ravens and fined Thomas $21,056 for the hit.
What came to light Saturday was Thomas wasn’t the only player fined in the Week 5 game. In fact, Steelers defensive end Stephon Tuitt was fined the same amount as Thomas for his hit on quarterback Lamar Jackson on the sideline that sent him crashing into a league photographer.
This per Jamison Hensley of ESPN:
Here are the fines from Ravens-Steelers from last Sunday:
— Jamison Hensley (@jamisonhensley) October 12, 2019
Ravens S Earl Thomas was fined $21,056 for his hit on Mason Rudolph.
Steelers DL Stephon Tuitt was fined $21,056 for his hit on Lamar Jackson.
These were the only two fines levied against players in this AFC North grudge match, but the injuries piled up at Heinz Field for both teams. The Steelers will be without Mason Rudolph for at least Week 6 as he continues to progress through the NFL’s concussion protocol, and the Ravens are without safety Tony Jefferson for the remainder of the year after tearing his ACL in the second half of the game. This is on top of the myriad of players who were dealing with nagging injuries stemming from the game last Sunday.
Neither Tuitt or Thomas were ejected for their hits, but it is safe to say they are certainly a lot lighter in the wallet this week than they would have been otherwise.
Stay tuned to BTSC for the latest news and notes surrounding the black-and-gold as they prepare for the Los Angeles Chargers on Sunday Night Football in Week 6.