NFL Announces Punishment Decision on Matthew Stafford Incident

With 12:56 remaining in the second quarter of the NFC Championship Game, Stafford was sacked and stripped by Seahawks defensive end DeMarcus Lawrence for a nine-yard loss before Los Angeles recovered the ball. In the process of bringing down the quarterback, Lawrence grabbed hold of the Stafford's face mask, but no flag was thrown, and the Rams had to settle for a field goal.

While no penalty was called on the play, the NFL still reviewed it for further punishment. Under NFL rules, players can be fined up to $11,593 for a first face mask violation, which can increase to $17,389 upon a second offense. And on Saturday, the league announced that Lawrence was not fined for his play on Stafford.

In fact, the only player from both conference championships that received a fine was Lawrence's teammate, cornerback Riq Woolen, who was charged $17,398 for taunting late in the second quarter.

This would not be the first time Lawrence has been fined by the NFL. During his 11 seasons with the Dallas Cowboys, he was fined five times for a total of $95,374, three of which came from roughing the passer. Lawrence was also suspended for four games during the 2016 NFL season for violating the league's substance abuse policy.

While Stafford and the Rams are heading home, Lawrence and the Seahawks have moved on to Super Bowl LX in Santa Clara, California, where they will face Drake Maye and the New England Patriots.