Amon-Ra St. Brown took a big hit to the pocketbook for a big hit he made on the field, and now the Detroit Lions wide receiver said he might need to change his blocking style to avoid coughing up more cash.
“Maybe just not lowering your head, I guess,” St. Brown said Thursday. “Using your shoulder. Just not making it forcible contact with your head to his head or to the other player’s head. But like I said, I kind of tend to block that way, so I got to figure some things out.”
St. Brown was fined $43,709 for making forcible contact with his helmet on a block on safety Jaquan Brisker in the first quarter of the Lions’ Week 11 win over the Chicago Bears.
St. Brown lowered his helmet as he hit Brisker in the secondary on a short run by David Montgomery.
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Although some in the NFL expressed dismay on social media at both the size of the fine, which is collectively bargained with the NFL Players Association, and the fine itself, St. Brown said he understands why the league levied the punishment it did.
According to the NFL’s fine schedule, that was St. Brown’s second offense of the violation.
“It is what it is,” St. Brown said. “It is a lot of money, but I guess the way I block I guess wasn’t legal. They said it was like forcible contact to the head, so I guess I just got to be better.”
St. Brown is considered one of the best blocking receivers in the NFL and has earned praise from a variety of Lions coaches for his hard-nosed play.
“Our little people, you see St. Brown going in to hit safeties with no brakes. Zero brakes,” running backs coach Scottie Montgomery said Wednesday. “He doesn’t care, and he’s still getting (a lot) of targets. And look at the little people if you want to find out if a team is tough or not. We’ve got some tough little guys.”
St. Brown, who makes $52,222 per game on his current contract, said the fine was excessive “for what I did.” He plans to appeal.
“I’m on the offensive side of the ball, so I’m not complaining too much cause we’re the ones that are (being protected),” he said. “It’s really rare that we’d get a deliberate blows (penalty). So I mean, if I was a defender probably I’d be saying (the NFL is legislating toughness out of the game), but as an offensive player, I don’t mind it. I go across the middle, they’re trying to protect us, I’m all for it.”
Left guard Jonah Jackson was a full participant in practice Thursday, putting him on track to play Sunday against the New Orleans Saints. Jackson has missed two games with a wrist injury.
Middle linebacker Alex Anzalone missed practice for the second straight day with a hand injury that will force the Lions to shuffle their linebacker rotation. Jack Campbell will play middle linebacker and wear the defensive communication headset in his helmet, and Derrick Barnes will play more on the weak side.
Campbell, who handled defensive play calling duties at Iowa, said he and the rest of the linebacking corps have practiced with a communication device in their helmet all season, so he’s used to hearing defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn relay plays.
“Obviously there’s a little bit more on my plate but I’m preparing like I have every single week and I’m preparing like I’m going to play every single snap out there,” Campbell said. “I think it kind of starts right there. It’s a little bit more responsibility but at the same time you got to stay steady, you can’t get too high, too low. I feel like that’s been the focus this week. I feel like the whole room’s done a really great job and I’m just excited to get out there and compete.”
