The New England Patriots brought the physicality in their win over the New York Giants on Monday, and the aftermath is hitting a few wallets hard.
Safety Jaylinn Hawkins was fined $9,944 by the NFL for an unnecessary roughness penalty during the game - his first fine of the season. While the hit drew a flag on the field, it also drew the league’s attention postgame. For Hawkins, it’s a financial ding, but not a major one by NFL standards.
He wasn’t the only one penalized, though. Giants tight end Theo Johnson and cornerback Andru Phillips were also fined for separate unnecessary roughness infractions.
Johnson was hit with a $6,488 fine, while Phillips was docked $7,292. Both penalties added frustration to what was already a rough outing for New York, who struggled to match the Patriots’ intensity from the opening snap.
Interestingly, linebacker Christian Elliss - who delivered two of the most talked-about hits of the week - escaped both a flag and a fine. One of those hits came on Giants quarterback Jaxson Dart, the other on return man Gunner Olszewski. Both plays drew reactions from fans and analysts alike, but the league deemed them clean, at least by the letter of the rulebook.
With both teams on a bye this week, those fined will have a little extra time to recover - physically and financially.