Devon Witherspoon, Seahawks rookie Tyrice Knight fined by NFL for penalties last week against Dolphins

Tim Weaver

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Devon Witherspoon, Seahawks rookie Tyrice Knight fined by NFL for penalties last week against Dolphins image

The Seattle Seahawks have a rare Sunday off as they prepare for tomorrow night's mega-matchup on Monday Night Football against Jared Goff and the Detroit Lions. Aside from the team's extensive injury situation, there hasn't been much news to report this weekend. However, on Saturday night we got an exception to that rule via the league office.

According to a report by Mike Dugar at The Athletic, the NFL has fined star cornerback Devon Witherspoon $11,255 for his super-late out-of-bounds hit against the Miami Dolphins last week. Rookie linebacker Tyrice Knight has also been fined $5,490 for his horse-collar tackle. Here are clips of the plays in question.

Seahawks Week 3 fines

Overall, Knight has looked promising in limited action this year going back to the preseason. However, Witherspoon has gotten off to a bit of a slow start in 2024, which he entered with All-Pro hype and occasionally even talk of being a Defensive Player of the Year candidate.

What's wrong with Devon Witherspoon?

Like everybody else on the back end of Seattle's defense, Spoon has covered well and played tight against the run so far in 2024. However, this penalty against Miami wasn't the first or the second time that Witherspoon has earned an unnecessary flag this season. Witherspoon's teammate, floundering right guard Anthony Bradford is tied for the second-most penalties this year with six, but Witherspoon is not far behind with four.

This is a pretty clear case of a player getting his motor running a little too hot. Head coach Mike Macdonald has to get Witherspoon to stay aggressive while managing to keep his cool and not make costly mistakes because he's over-eager to make an impact. Last season this defense needed Spoon to make plays everywhere. This year that is no longer the case.

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Tim Weaver

Tim Weaver Photo

Tim Weaver has been covering the NFL since the 2013 season for a number of different outlets, including Fansided and USA Today SMG. His work began with the Seahawks and has included covering the Eagles, Bears, Panthers, Steelers and Falcons. His pit/terrier mix, Pepper, is a one-cut-and-go kind of girl.