Jets linebacker Quincy Williams has been fined $10,609 for his late hit on Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts in the first preseason game last Friday.
The hit — which Jets head coach Robert Saleh called “egregiously awful” — came on the first drive of the first quarter at Lincoln Financial Field. Hurts broke the pocket and ran out of bounds on the right side of the field. He was clearly off the field by the time Williams hit him.
Williams was flagged for unnecessary roughness, but Hurts was OK. He finished off the touchdown drive before head coach Nick Sirianni pulled him and the rest of the starters.
With our All Access Daily newsletter, stay in the game with the latest updates on your beloved Philadelphia sports teams!
SIGN UP HERE “It happens,” Hurts said after the game. “He hit me late. They called a flag. We moved on.”
Hurts, 24, was much calmer about the situation than his coaches and teammates.
Sirianni was seen during the game broadcast screaming across the field toward Saleh and the Jets sideline. He had to be restrained by an Eagles staffer out by the numbers.
“I was just sticking up for Jalen,” Sirianni said. “I’ll never apologize for sticking up for my players. I should have handled it a little bit better than I did.”
NFL
While Sirianni was losing it on the far sideline, Hurts’ teammates came to his defense. The first guy in Williams’ face was left tackle Jordan Mailata. The 6-foot-8 Australian said his initial instinct was to headbutt Williams, but since he just returned from the concussion protocol, he thought better of it.
That opening series was probably the last preseason action we’ll see from Hurts this summer. Although, Sirianni said that hit wouldn’t change any decision.
“No, not at all,” Sirianni said. “We'll do what we think is best for the team and those guys, and each case will be discussed individually.
“We won't ever be scared to do something. You're going to get hit. He got hit late out of bounds. Well, what's stopping somebody hitting him in the pocket? It's football and that won't play into our decision.”
Subscribe to the Eagle Eye podcast
Apple Podcasts | Google Play | Spotify | Stitcher | Art19 | Watch on YouTube