Howard Smith- US PRESSWIRE
Philadelphia Eagles defensive end Jason Babin has been fined $15,750 for a hit against Cleveland Browns quarterback Brandon Weeden in Sunday’s game.
Babin was fined for unnecessarily driving Weeden into the ground.
This is his second fine by the NFL, with the other one coming last season when he received a $15,000 fine for roughing the passer.
Fines have increased five percent this season, in accordance to the new collective bargaining agreement, which explains the extra $750 fine in Babin’s fine in 2012.
Babin has been outspoken against the NFL’s tendency to fine players for illegal hits. Here is what he said last year after he was fined:
“I don’t think they like the way I play at all,” Babin said at the time. “I’m pretty sure they get nervous every time because they know I’m throwing and someone gets hurt. But that’s what got me paid, that’s what got me where I am today. I’m not going to change.”
The Eagles won the game last week by a 17-16 score. Babin collected four tackles, a sack, and a forced fumble while going up against Browns’ rookie right tackle Mitchell Schwartz.
He had 18 sacks last year. Throw in his 2.5 in limited playing time in 2009 and his one in 2012 and he has 21.5 in his career with the Eagles.
This week, Babin and the Eagles will take on the powerful Baltimore Ravens. The Ravens won their season opener, thrashing the division rival Cincinnati Bengals by a 44-13 score.
The Eagles are favored this week by one point, although I am picking Baltimore to win 22-17.
This article was written by Bryn Swartz, the top writer for the Philadelphia Eagles and a featured NFL columnist on Rant Sports. Bryn has written more than 1000 articles in less than two years as a member of Rant Sports. His blog, Eagles Central, was named the 2010 Ballhyped Sports Blog of the Year. You can follow Bryn on Twitter by clicking here and here. To read a portfolio of Bryn’s best work, click here.
