NFL declines to fine Falcons S Keanu Neal after Achilles injury, unsportsmanlike conduct penalty

[birdz4i]

Ryan Young

Yahoo Sports Contributor

Yahoo Sports

Sep 28, 2019, 5:38 PM

 

 

Atlanta Falcons safety Keanu Neal suffered a season-ending Achilles injury on Sunday in a loss to the Indianapolis Colts.

To add insult to injury, officials hit him with an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty after he threw his helmet out of pain and frustration — something that gave the Colts an automatic first down and eventually a 20-3 lead.

On Saturday, though, the league took a step back. According to the NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, Neal will not face any penalty for his unsportsmanlike penalty.

 

 

 

Many expected that Neal would be hit with a fine this week, similar to the one Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Stefon Diggs received last week. Diggs was hit with a $10,527 fine after removing his helmet and taunting the crowd in Green Bay. While Neal’s helmet removal was completely different, the action was still the same — which technically is a violation of NFL rules.

The 24-year-old was placed on Injured Reserve on Monday. He recorded 113 total tackles in 2017, his second year in the league, marking the second-best total on the team. Neal tore his ACL last year in the season-opener, too, making his latest injury that much more devastating for the former first-rounder.

Regardless, the league made sure to spare Neal from an extra fine for a penalty many — including Colts tight end Eric Ebron, who actually confronted the officials after the flag was thrown last week — feel he never should have received in the first place.

“[I was upset] because they should never throw a flag on that,” Ebron said this week, via the Indianapolis Star. “I mean, we got free yards out of that, so I’m not tripping. It just [upset] me off that the referee was not acknowledging the fact that he got hurt.

“I understand you’re doing the job and throwing the flag, but don’t throw the flag and not give a ****. That’s what I was saying [to the officials.]”

 

 

 

https://sports.yahoo.com/nfl-will-not-fine-atlanta-falcons-safety-keanu-neal-achilles-injury-unsportsmanlike-conduct-penalty-indianapolis-colts-213823890.html

 

[ATLSlobberKnockers]

Ebron is a solid dude. 

[Jpg428gggg]

You guys were so upset that you accepted the penalty. It’s the nfl so I don’t expect many teams to decline it but would have been a cool gesture.

[Francis York Morgan]

8 minutes ago, Jpg428gggg said:

You guys were so upset that you accepted the penalty. It’s the nfl so I don’t expect many teams to decline it but would have been a cool gesture.

Pretty sure it's automatic.

25 minutes ago, ATLSlobberKnockers said:

Ebron is a solid dude. 

Yeah. Quinn was yelling at the refs too it turns out - just didn't show him doing it. I was frustrated with his attitude until I heard he had.

[FalconsIn2012]

That’s what’s up, Ebron.  He is now one of my favorite non-Falcons players.

[octoslash]

Gee...what a gaggle of gregarious gutless gringos.  

Don't do us any favors f**ksticks. 

[ATLSlobberKnockers]

14 minutes ago, FalconsIn2020 said:

That’s what’s up, Ebron.  He is now one of my favorite non-Falcons players.

I know. Hope he makes it to our roster later in his career

[Emmitt]

The NFL is 100% Grade A, HorseSh!T 

Im this close to turning this bullish!t off for good! MotherFlippen son of a b!tches! 

Nice to see that class from Ebron though. 

It’s not the players fault that the league is run by a bunch of jackazzes!!!!!

[Black Francis]

That’s so big of the NFL. Glad Kiki gets to keep all of his well earned paycheck. Thank you NFL. You’re so charitable. 

[Faithful Falcon]

1 hour ago, Jpg428gggg said:

You guys were so upset that you accepted the penalty. It’s the nfl so I don’t expect many teams to decline it but would have been a cool gesture.

I don't think you can decline a personal foul.

[Bunchy Carter]

1 hour ago, Francis York Morgan said:

Pretty sure it's automatic.

Yeah. Quinn was yelling at the refs too it turns out - just didn't show him doing it. I was frustrated with his attitude until I heard he had.

How'd you hear this?

[DriveHomeSafelyAtlantaWins]

Ebron ... cool.

[falcons007]

They should fine the refs for throwing the flag. Classy penalty.

[KRUNKuno]

Soooooo do we get the 15 yards back....?

NFL makes no sense sometimes.

[LightningDawg58]

Bruh, like... for real. I feel so much pain for Keanu. And I wish I was on the team because I would run through a wall on his behalf right now. Like, F*** everybody for that flag. Our brother went down. They lucky I’m just a fan

[NeonDeion]

The problem is the NFL doesn’t even follow its own rules. Helmet off is not automatic. It’s stated due to taunting or celebration. 

Officials had a choice NOT to throw the flag. They decided to be *********s

[BlazerSlayer]

I can understand throwing a flag as a response to seeing a helmet get thrown. But after seeing he was injured, common sense should prevail and they pick it up. The refs even huddled at that point. Poor show.

[BlazerSlayer]

https://www.si.com/nfl/2019/09/29/week-4-preview-keys-vikings-bears-cousins-trubisky-daniel-jones-second-start

Gary Grambling agrees with @NeonDeion

Helmet off without confrontation is not a penalty, and they should have had the sense to pick up the flag anyway.

[thanat0s]

Penalty, no penalty, I wasn’t really bent on that. My disgust was with the Indy crowd cheering like they’d just won the SB. Historically, I always though of them as overall good folks, but this, along with them booing Luck, let’s me know they’re trash. 

[caponine]

Lol its over stop crying about it, theres nothing you can do now. The refs took emotion out of it and called it. If every ref took emotion into account there would be a lot of screwed finishes. Its the rule and a penalty and he broke the rule. Youve seen people take their helmets off the field and get penalized.

[UnrealfalcoN]

54 minutes ago, caponine said:

Lol its over stop crying about it, theres nothing you can do now. The refs took emotion out of it and called it. If every ref took emotion into account there would be a lot of screwed finishes. Its the rule and a penalty and he broke the rule. Youve seen people take their helmets off the field and get penalized.

Go post this on Aintsreport.com

[falcons007]

56 minutes ago, caponine said:

Lol its over stop crying about it, theres nothing you can do now. The refs took emotion out of it and called it. If every ref took emotion into account there would be a lot of screwed finishes. Its the rule and a penalty and he broke the rule. Youve seen people take their helmets off the field and get penalized.

 

2 minutes ago, UnrealfalcoN said:

Go post this on Aintsreport.com

About time.

[Lowndesfalc]

 

Refusal of Penalties. Unless expressly prohibited, the penalty for any foul may be declined by the offended team, and play proceeds as though no foul had been committed. The yardage distance for any penalty may be declined, even though the penalty is accepted. (NFL rulebook p76)

[2_legit_2_legit_2_quit]

13 hours ago, Francis York Morgan said:

Pretty sure it's automatic.

Yeah. Quinn was yelling at the refs too it turns out - just didn't show him doing it. I was frustrated with his attitude until I heard he had.

Please link to an article that states Quinn was yelling at the refs. If he was upset he must have gotten over it real quick because the camera was on Quinn and he was just doing that stare thing he does. You know the deer in the headlights look.

[PokerSteve]

13 hours ago, Emmitt said:

The NFL is 100% Grade A, HorseSh!T 

Im this close to turning this bullish!t off for good! MotherFlippen son of a b!tches! 

Nice to see that class from Ebron though. 

It’s not the players fault that the league is run by a bunch of jackazzes!!!!!

And I swear they just keep hitting new lows... Somebody start up another competitor pro football league. I promise I'll support it.