Vikings safety Harrison Smith was fined $45,020 for "impermissible use of the helmet" on a hit against the Rams in the wild card round last week.
Smith's helmet appeared to contact the helmet of Rams tight end Tyler Higbee after a reception in the first quarter of last Monday's game. No flag was thrown on the play in the moment, but the NFL can still assess fines after the fact.
$45K used to be the fine amount for a second offense of illegal helmet use. Recently, as the league has cracked down on such hits, it's the standard amount for even a first-time offender like Smith.
It's by far the most any Vikings player has been fined all season. The full list is below:
* $45,020: Harrison Smith, impermissible use of the helmet, playoffs
* $11,255: Byron Murphy Jr., taunting, Week 16
* $15,167: Jerry Tillery, hit on defenseless player, Week 13
* $6,544: Cam Akers, impermissible use of the helmet, Week 10
* $11,255: Blake Cashman, face mask, Week 10
* $11,255: Cam Robinson, late hit, Week 10
* $11,817: Aaron Jones, low block, Week 8
* $5,120: Ivan Pace Jr., face mask, Week 8
* $9,667: Jihad Ward, late hit, Week 2
NFL fine money goes to the NFLPA Players Assistance Trust (which helps former players) and various charitable organizations. Smith had a cap hit of around $6.5 million in 2024 and has made close to $100 million in his 13-year career, but losing $45K still isn't fun.
Smith is the Vikings' longest-tenured player and one of the oldest defensive players in the league. For the second consecutive offseason, he has a decision to make between retiring or returning to play another year. If he does come back, it would be his 14th season. Emotions ran high for the 2012 first-round pick and possible future Hall of Famer following the abrupt ending to the Vikings' season.
