A low hit that injured the knee of Tennessee Titans quarterback Marcus Mariota drew a fine for Miami Dolphins defensive end Olivier Vernon, which he intends to appeal, according to Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald. The amount for the fine hasn't yet been revealed.
Dolphins DE Olivier Vernon will appeal fine for low hit on Marcus Mariota
Vernon’s roughing the passer penalty drew harsh criticism from Titans head coach Ken Whisenhunt who accused him of attempting to injure Marcus Mariota.
Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports
Vernon, 25, was given a roughing the passer penalty for the hit, but it was Titans head coach Ken Whisenhunt’s comments after the game that threw the low hit into the spotlight. Whisenhunt said that Vernon intended to hurt Mariota with the blow and called it “bulls*** football” after the game.
The Dolphins pass rusher took to Twitter to refute those accusations:
I’ve never been a dirty player. I never intended to hurt anyone. I even checked to make sure Marcus was ok. #mariotagetwellsoon
— Olivier Vernon (@oliviervernon50) October 19, 2015 Titans offensive tackle Taylor Lewan also accused Vernon of attempting to injure Mariota, but the quarterback himself told reporters that he didn't believe it was malicious.
Mariota’s MCL was sprained on the play. Although he didn’t leave the game, he fumbled twice after the hit. The rookie quarterback leads the NFL with five fumbles and has been sacked 19 times, the third-highest total in the league. After starting the year with a perfect passer rating in Week 1, his passer rating has declined in each week. Still, he has a 92.6 rating with nine touchdowns and five interceptions.
Vernon was a third-round pick in the 2012 NFL Draft and has 22.5 sacks in 53 career games. He is scheduled to become a free agent after the 2015 season.
See More:
