The NFL seemingly admitted that Green Bay Packers kick returner Keisean Nixon was right about at least one aspect of a key play that went against him in the NFC Wild Card round.
The league announced Saturday that Eagles linebacker Oren Burks was fined $8,333 for unnecessary roughness on the opening kickoff of last Sunday’s 22-10 Eagles win. The NFL said Burks’ fine was for a helmet-to-helmet hit on Nixon, though no flag was thrown on the play.
The NFL fined #Eagles LB Oren Burks $8,333 for unnecessary roughness (use of helmet) — his hit on #Packers KR Keisean Nixon that caused a fumble on the opening kickoff last week.
No flag was thrown.
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) January 18, 2025
Nixon fumbled the kickoff on this play, a call that was controversially upheld on replay review. Nixon told reporters the next day that he felt he had recovered his own fumble, and that the play should have been flagged for the helmet-to-helmet hit.
Keisean Nixon says he wasn't given an explanation about his kick return. Said it should've been helmet-to-helmet, "but I don't think they call that on kick returns." pic.twitter.com/5vSL45ySjC
— John Miller (@JohnMillerNBC26) January 13, 2025
The NFL will not say so explicitly, but the fine indicates that Nixon’s comment on the penalty was correct. Had a flag been thrown, it would have nullified a game-changing play that led to an Eagles touchdown. The result might not have changed, but it certainly isn’t something the NFL would like to be discussing.
