The NFL continued its stiff stance on illegal hits and player-safety violations with a new wave of discipline to players following Week 8. In all, the league doled out a total of ten fines to different players this week in announcing its latest weekly fine report for various actions it considered violating rules regarding safety. The league reviewed 2,003 plays in Week 8 and found just ten that resulted in fines, accounting for roughly 0.5% of all plays.

It includes Buffalo Bills star pass-rusher Joey Bosa, who was fined for unnecessary roughness after being flagged for striking, kicking, tripping, or kneeing. He was fined $12,172, putting him among several high-profile defensive players who were hit with penalties as the league doubled down on illegal contact rules designed to protect players.

Week 8 fines show how serious the league is about ridding its games of dangerous play. His fine was part of a broader effort to penalize plays that greatly endanger player health, specifically those involving the striking of players outside of regular tackling form. The fine report shows a continuation in the effort to protect players from hits that can cause injuries that are avoidable in nature.

Late in the second quarter, Bosa dropped Dalton for a big 12-yard loss, but the play was wiped out when officials penalized him for tripping.

He wasn’t the only one to receive league discipline for unnecessary roughness in Week 8, with Pittsburgh wideout DK Metcalf docked $12,172 after striking Packers linebacker Quay Walker. With the matter now settled, Bosa and the Bills face a huge Week 9 showdown against Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs, a rematch of last season’s AFC Championship clash.

Around the league, a few players were fined for various player-safety-related infractions: Leonard Floyd of the Atlanta Falcons was fined $11,593 for facemask grabbing and twisting outright safety concerns because of the neck and head injury likely to occur.

Baltimore Ravens cornerback Marlon Humphrey was fined $46,371 after he lowered his helmet to initiate contact rule the league has taken great care over due to concussion risks. The Minnesota Vikings‘ Blake Cashman also illegally used his helmet and was penalized $23,186, reinforcing the league’s zero-tolerance stance on head-first impacts.

Minnesota‘s Dallas Turner was also fined $19,907 for launching, leaving his feet to deliver a hit, which increases force and injury risk. New York Giants‘ Rakeem Nuñez-Roches joined the list with a $23,186 fine for helmet-initiated contact as well, showing multiple organizations dealing with the same rule emphasis. These incidents together reflect consistent enforcement rather than targeting any one team.

That message was reinforced as Philadelphia linebacker Jeremiah Trotter Jr. was fined $5,790 for a blindside block, a dangerous hit delivered without a player being able to defend himself. The fine further indicates that offensive players face equal scrutiny. Two Washington players were fined: Linebacker Frankie Luvu was given one of the week’s largest penalties-$46,372-for a hip-drop tackle. Safety Quan Martin was also fined $11,572.

The NFL’s safety concerns

If the NFL’s crackdown on illegal hits didn’t occur in a vacuum, it was as a result of decades of criticism and painful history. Some serious, highly publicized injuries have helped form the zero-tolerance approach to hazardous contact today.

Perhaps one of the most tragic incidents is Darryl Stingley‘s paralysis in 1978 from a helmet-first collision delivered by Jack Tatum. It stands as a haunting reminder of what the NFL is trying to prevent.

In recent times, the NFL has been in the line of fire in the Tua Tagovailoa concussion controversy, where the quarterback suffered multiple head hits in close succession, raising questions about the league’s protocols.

The NFL’s stance is now clear that even one dangerous hit is not okay.