LAS VEGAS – Quincy Williams has gotten used to finding an envelope from the NFL at his locker.
The Jets linebacker has been fined four times by the league for a total of $51,472 – all for unnecessary roughness.
The league’s fine system has come under scrutiny this season, with the NFLPA president raising issues with the way the league fines players last week.
Williams said some of his hits are unavoidable because he goes in to tackle with his shoulder but the ball carrier moves and Williams ends up hitting them with his head.
“I feel like, at the beginning of the year, they do a good job of sending videos and stuff how they want stuff and what they would consider for a fine. But a lot of those are gray areas,” Williams said. “A couple of my hits are like … I don’t really have a long neck, so my head is close to my shoulder. When I’m using my shoulder going across somebody’s body, they’re also protecting themselves by going down. I can’t change the trajectory of my head and shoulder because they’re attached.”
Williams was fined twice for actions against the Giants two weeks ago.
Williams acknowledges the first fine was fair since he got into it with a Giants player after the whistle.
On the second one, though, Williams was going in to tackle Giants receiver Wan’Dale Robinson
As Williams went in for the tackle, Robinson braced himself for the hit and lowered his head.
Williams ended up with a head-to-head hit and got a penalty and then a fine.
“The second one I was in tackling form and then he lowered,” Williams said. “I feel like they have to be more lenient because of the speed of the game.”
Williams believes defensive players are going to alter the way they tackle.
“We’re going to have to start tackling so we won’t get fined, more arm tackling than the normal tackling where you put your shoulder on somebody because it’s too close to your head,” Williams said. “They’re trying to take the head out of the game but it’s hard. That’s why you’re getting a lot of arm tackling.”
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