Report: Seahawks' Clowney won't be fined for hit on Wentz

The NFL won't fine Seattle Seahawks defensive end Jadeveon Clowney for his hit that sent Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Carson Wentz to the locker room during Sunday's wild-card matchup, according to Mark Maske of The Washington Post.

Clowney wasn't penalized by the officials during the game.

The play happened late in the first quarter on a scramble where Wentz took a hit to the back of the head while going down.

Carson Wentz went to the locker room after taking this hit from Jadeveon Clowney #SEAvsPHI pic.twitter.com/gdwK1UXCn0

- Kevin Boilard (@247KevinBoilard) January 5, 2020

Referee Shawn Smith told reporters the officials didn't consider the play a dirty hit.

"From what we saw on the field, it was incidental," Smith said, according to Jeff McLane of Inquirer.com. "He was a runner and he did not give himself up. We saw incidental helmet contact, and in our judgment, we didn't rule that to be a foul."

Clowney explained what he saw during the play.

"I was just playing fast," he said, according to Darryl Slater of NJ.com. "It was a bang-bang play. I don't want to hurt nobody in this league. I've been down that injury road. It ain't fun. My intentions weren't to hurt him. That's a great player over there. I hope he's OK. It was just a small hit. Everybody was going crazy. I'm like, 'I didn't even hit him hard.'

"I was like, 'Why are people booing?' I didn't think it was that crazy of a hit. I fell on him a little bit, but I didn't think it was that big of a hit. I really didn't even put a lot into it. For him to go out, I was like, 'He's out?' It surprised me."

Veteran Josh McCown filled in for Wentz but ultimately the Eagles lost 17-9.

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