Washington Commanders linebacker Frankie Luvu came close to playing without compensation in the Divisional Round.
On Saturday, the league announced its fines for the week, and Luvu received one of the largest penalties.
The Commanders player was officially penalized twice following the victory over the Detroit Lions.
One occurred during a second quarter tackle against running back Jahmyr Gibbs. It was deemed a hip-drop tackle, though quite minor, resulting in a $16,883 penalty, according to Tom Pelissero.
Luvu was not penalized during the play, but this does not imply that the NFL cannot impose financial penalties afterward. Additionally, the league has chosen to implement fines as the main method of regulation concerning hip-drop tackles, given their prevalence and the challenges they present for real-time officiating.
The other penalty occurred during one of the most significant plays from the prior drive. Lions quarterback Jared Goff was picked off by safety Quan Martin, who took the misfired throw back for a pick-six. Goff tried to confront Martin but encountered Luvu instead. The linebacker struck the head/neck region and sent Goff crashing to the ground as the Commanders scored.
Goff sat out a drive while being evaluated for a concussion but came back to the game soon after. Luvu did not receive a penalty for the hit, even though Fox’s rules analyst indicated differently.
He was once more fined $16,883, raising his total for the Divisional Round to $33,766.
In the meantime, players earn just $54,500 for competing in the Divisional Round.