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No disciplinary action will be taken against Baltimore Ravens linebacker Roquan Smith for the hip-drop tackle that injured Cincinnati Bengals tight end Erick All Jr. in their Week 7 game at M&T Bank Stadium, the NFL confirmed. The league did not issue any fines stemming from the Bengals-Ravens contest.
All, a former Fairfield High School standout, suffered a torn ACL on the third-quarter play, Bengals head coach Zac Taylor verified on Oct. 28. The team placed him on the Reserve/Injured list the previous day and signed tight end Cam Grandy off the Minnesota Vikings' practice squad as a replacement.
Quarterback Joe Burrow expressed the gravity of the losses, noting that All brought toughness to the offense and that Tanner Hudson, who also contributes in multiple roles, is equally difficult to replace. "Those are two huge losses for us that you can't really replace with just two guys," Burrow said on Oct. 28.
Smith himself was briefly sidelined in the fourth quarter after tackling Bengals running back Chase Brown, remaining on the ground at the end of the play, but he returned later in the quarter.
In 2023, Smith commented on Burrow's wrist injury, saying such occurrences are part of facing the Ravens' defense. "He's a great player," Smith said of Burrow. "I've got a lot of respect for him, the way he plays the game. But, hey, injury's part of the game so, you know, when you play the Ravens' D, sometimes things like that happen."
Shortly after, fans were heard chanting profanities directed at Burrow as Prime Video analysts discussed Baltimore's 34-20 victory.
Key Analysis
The absence of a fine highlights the NFL's discretionary approach to policing hip-drop tackles, a technique that has come under increased scrutiny for its injury risk. While the play resulted in a season-ending injury for All, the league evidently did not deem Smith's action worthy of financial penalty, underscoring the ongoing debate over player safety and rule enforcement.
Originally reported by yahoo.