Saquon Barkley Hit With Biggest Fine Of NFL Season After Running Over Chiefs' Defender

Saquon Barkley is the highest-paid running back in the NFL. He's going to be A-okay, financially, paying the recent fine the NFL handed him. It's the principle behind it that the Eagles' star can't be too pleased about.

The NFL reportedly fined the Philadelphia running back $46,371, the largest fine we've seen this young season, for offensive unnecessary roughness during the Eagles' 20-17 win over the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 2. 

The play that resulted in Barkley's bank account taking a dent saw him lower his shoulder and completely run over Kansas City defensive back Chamarri Conner. Both in real time and on replay, it looked like your standard play where one player wins the battle and one player loses it, but the league saw things differently.

There wasn't a flag thrown on the play, but the NFL determined that it was unnecessary roughness with Barkley lowering and using his helmet, and found paying a little over $46k was the proper punishment.

Anyone in the right state of mind should be on board with the NFL implementing as much player safety as possible, especially as it pertains to anything above the neck, but that doesn't mean we also can't reflect on just how different today's NFL is compared to the league even just a handful of years ago.

Barkley undoubtedly made contact with the defender using his helmet, but this is also just the classic football play that has made the NFL and the sport so unbelievably popular. Bigger guys moving with more speed than smaller guys, and that smaller guy taking a hit is the epitome of football, or at least it used to be.

When a player lowers their shoulder, their head comes down with it, but if that movement results in the helmet making the initial contact, it means a hefty fine is on the way, clearly.