NFL Fines Eagles’ Oren Burks for Unnecessary Roughness in Wild Card Game

PHILADELPHIA, Pa. — The NFL has fined Philadelphia Eagles linebacker Oren Burks $8,333 for unnecessary roughness after he used his helmet to deliver a forceful hit during the opening kickoff of last week’s Wild Card game against the Green Bay Packers. The hit, which forced a fumble by Packers return specialist Keisean Nixon, was not flagged during the game but has since been deemed a violation of league rules.

The incident occurred on the first play of the game, setting the tone for the Eagles’ 22-10 victory. Burks’ hit led to a fumble recovery by Jeremiah Trotter Jr., which quickly resulted in an Eagles touchdown. Despite the on-field officials ruling the play clean, the NFL’s decision to fine Burks suggests the hit violated the league’s 2018 rule prohibiting players from lowering their helmets to make forcible contact with opponents.

“I was trying to hit him, man,” Burks said after the game. “Hit him with everything I got, man. Like I said, just set the tone early. That was the physicality that we wanted to play with.”

Packers returner Keisean Nixon expressed frustration over the play, arguing that it should have been flagged for targeting. “It was sudden change, they scored right after, so it gave them the ball,” Nixon said. “But I got the ball back for sure. It should’ve been targeting, helmet-to-helmet, but can’t dwell on it. Never been hit that hard, either. That was like the first time, I was kind of rattled. But it is what it is.”

The Eagles capitalized on the momentum, forcing three interceptions from Packers quarterback Jordan Love and securing their spot in the divisional round of the playoffs. They will host the Los Angeles Rams on Sunday.

Burks, who stepped up after starting middle linebacker Nakobe Dean suffered a season-ending knee injury, is expected to play a significant role in the upcoming game alongside Trotter Jr. The NFL also fined two Packers players, Lukas Van Ness and Tedarrell Salmon, for unnecessary roughness during the same game.