NFL Facing Punishment Decision on Shedeur Sanders Incident

Sanders, who finished his rookie year with 120-of-212 completed passes (56.6%) for 1,400 yards, seven touchdowns and 10 interceptions, was on the receiving end of an illegal hit in the first half against Cincinnati.

Johnson came in late on his tackle on Sanders and made contact with the Browns QB’s helmet. The referees immediately threw a flag on the play, calling a roughing the passer penalty against the Cincinnati DE. It resulted in a 15-yard penalty and an automatic first down in favor of Sanders and the Browns.

According to Rule 12 Section 12 Article 11 of the NFL rulebook,  "any physical acts against a player who is in a passing posture (i.e. before, during, or after attempting a pass) which, in the game official’s judgment, are unwarranted by the circumstances of the play will be called as fouls." 

Johnson was found guilty of violating this policy and may now be subjected to a fine, depending on how the NFL Officiating Department views this incident. For context, roughing the passer penalties carry a potential fine of $17,389 for a first offense and $23,186 for a second.

Johnson, who is currently in his second season in the NFL, has not been fined in the past. However, he will now need to wait for the league’s decision on his foul on Sanders. Any potential fine will be announced via the gameday accountability report, which is published every Saturday.