Philadelphia Eagles running back Saquon Barkley dished out some punishment to Kansas City Chiefs cornerback Chamarri Conner in the Week 2 battle between the two teams.
The NFL responded to it by giving a punishment of its own to the league’s reigning Offensive Player of the Year.
The NFL fined Barkley $46,371 for unnecessary roughness and improper use of the helmet during the play where he ran over Conner, as NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero reports.
Barkley appeared to lower his helmet to initiate contact during the run. He then hit Conner in the facemask with the crown of his helmet before breaking the 25-year-old’s tackle attempt and gaining a few extra yards.
Conner was no worse for wear following the Barkley-initiated contact, and no flag was thrown on the play. Nonetheless, the NFL saw fit to fine Barkley under its official rules about fines and appeals, which outlines that players may be fined even for plays during which they were not penalized.
‘Player infractions may come to the league’s attention in a variety of ways,’ the league’s rulebook reads. ‘The league may respond to an official’s call during a game or to a specific play that a team submits for review. The NFL Officiating Department also reviews every play from every game and refers potential violations to the Football Operations compliance team.
‘League staff members examine the plays identified as having potential infractions to determine whether there is cause for additional review.’
The NFL’s fine marks the third of Barkley’s career, and his third in as many seasons. All three have been for impermissible use of the helmet, with his first coming with the New York Giants in 2023 and his second coming last season with the Eagles.
That’s why Barkley was charged a fine of $46,371 as a multi-time offender; the fine for the first offense is $23,186.
In total, Barkley has been fined a combined $113,246 by the NFL during his career. He will have career earnings of $79,692,750 following the 2025 NFL season, per Spotrac.com.