Texans, Chargers Awaiting NFL Decision on Justin Herbert Incident

At the 0:40 mark of the second quarter, Herbert was sacked at first-and-10 for a 14-yard loss. It was Autry who came up with a big play against the Chargers QB, resulting in what should have been a substantial loss for L.A.

Instead, Autry was caught grabbing onto Herbert’s leg before Autry extended his own leg to trip Herbert. The sack was nullified by the violation, which resulted in a 15-yard penalty in favor of L.A. and an automatic first down.

According to Section 39 of Rule 3 of the NFL’s Official Playing Rules, “tripping is the use of the leg or foot to obstruct any opponent, including a runner.” The referees deemed Autry guilty of violating this rule in his tackle on Herbert.

The NFL’s rulebook also stipulates that a tripping violation is eligible for a fine of $12,172 for a first offense and $17,968 for a second. Autry has not been fined for tripping throughout his career, though he has been fined for fighting and unsportsmanlike conduct in previous seasons.

Autry and the Texans will now await the NFL’s punishment decision on the incident, which will be announced on Saturday via the gameday accountability report.

Houston, who has also already clinched a spot in the playoffs, will be back in action in Week 18 against the Indianapolis Colts. Herbert and the Chargers, on the other hand, will close out their season with a rivalry matchup against the Broncos.