Sep 22, 2024; New Orleans, Louisiana, USA; Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver DeVonta Smith (6) is injured on a tackle by New Orleans Saints defensive tackle Khristian Boyd (97) during the second half at Caesars Superdome. Mandatory Credit: Stephen Lew-Imagn Images Stephen Lew
New Orleans Saints' defensive tackle Khristian Boyd was fined $4,600 for his hit that left DeVonta Smith concussed in the fourth quarter of Sunday's Eagles win.
BREAKING: #Saints DT Khristian Boyd reportedly has been fined only $4,600 for his DIRTY HIT on #Eagles DeVonta Smith.
Wild….
😳😳😳pic.twitter.com/5zwtwoleFV
— MLFootball (@_MLFootball) September 25, 2024
It should be noted that Boyd wasn't penalized on the field, which perhaps is why the fine seems relatively low. Still, getting it wrong on the field shouldn't mean you don't get it right when you have the benefit of review on your side. You could argue that the play should have been blown dead sooner, but there were two Saints defenders in the process of tackling Smith when Boyd came in and made his hit. He may not have intended to concuss Smith, but his hit crossed a line. It also put the two teammates making the tackle in harm's way.
Wednesday's Injury Report#PHIvsTB pic.twitter.com/xGLqKxX6zS
— Philadelphia Eagles (@Eagles) September 25, 2024
Smith did not practice Wednesday, and just from an optics perspective, it's hard to imagine him playing Sunday against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. That means the Eagles will likely be without Smith for a game with NFC playoff implications, which is especially problematic when A.J. Brown has missed two games in a row with a hamstring injury and was also listed as DNP on Wednesday's estimated practice report.
