Seahawks Receive Punishment News on Saturday

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Paolo Songco | Last updated Jan 24, 2026 7:09 PM ET

The Seattle Seahawks are making their final preparations for Sunday's conference championship game against the Los Angeles Rams. The Seahawks are just one win away from returning to the Super Bowl since they last won the title during the 2013 season.

The Seahawks booked their spot in the conference championship with a dominant divisional round win over the San Francisco 49ers, 41-6. Despite the lopsided scoreline, there was no shortage of action in that NFC West rivalry showdown.

One of the more contentious incidents in the game involved Seahawks wide receiver Rashid Shaheed. The two-time Pro Bowl wideout took a hard hit from 49ers linebacker Dee Winters, prompting an incident review by the NFL.

Seattle Seahawks wide receiver Rashid Shaheed (22) celebrates after defeating the Los Angeles Rams.© Kevin Ng-Imagn Images

At the 4:01 mark of the third quarter, Winters stopped Shaheed in his tracks on the left end. It resulted in a 3-yard loss for Seattle. At that point in the game, the game officials did not see anything wrong with Winters’ tackle on Shaheed. No penalty was called on the play.

However, a closer look at the incident led to a retroactive punishment from the NFL. The league reviewed Winters’ hit and ruled it illegal.

The NFL also fined Dee Winters $5,907 for what was deemed a hip-drop tackle on Rashid Shaheed. pic.twitter.com/BNHGVOUab8
— Mookie Alexander (@mookiealexander) January 24, 2026

According to the NFL rulebook, a hip-drop tackle is when a player “grabs the runner with one or both hands or wraps the runner with both arms” and then “unweights himself by swiveling and dropping his hips and/or lower body, landing on and/or trapping the runner’s leg(s) at or below the knee.” It carries a 15-yard penalty during the game.

After reviewing the play, the NFL Officiating Department cited a hip-drop tackle violation on Winters. He was fined $5,907 for unnecessary roughness, as announced in the game-day accountability report on Saturday. This is the first time Winters has been fined in his three years in the NFL.

As for the Seahawks, they will be back in action on Sunday. They will host the Rams at Lumen Field for the NFC championship. Kickoff from Seattle is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. ET.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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