Earl Thomas says he reached out to Mason Rudolph after brutal hit, got no response
Baltimore Ravens safety Earl Thomas revealed that he was fined for his massive hit on Mason Rudolph that knocked the Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback unconscious, and that his attempts to reach out to Rudolph have not received a response, according to ESPN.
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Thomas said he plans to appeal the $12,000 fine, which is the NFL’s standard punishment for a first offense of roughing the passer.
Thomas’ hit on Rudolph was scariest moment of the season
The hit in question occurred during the third quarter of Sunday’s game between the Ravens and Steelers. Rudolph ran up to the line of scrimmage before passing and was met by Thomas, whose helmet went straight into Rudolph’s chin. Rudolph immediately fell limp to the crowd, and had to be carried off the field due to a malfunctioning cart.
Thomas wasn’t initially flagged for the hit, but was later assessed a roughing the passer penalty.
Rudolph landed in the concussion protocol and, after practicing in limited fashion during the week, has been ruled out for Sunday’s game against the Los Angeles Chargers. Undrafted rookie Devlin Hodges is slated to fill in under center again.
‘I didn’t do it on purpose’
Thomas told ESPN on Friday that he tried to reach out to Rudolph during the week by calling and texting him. He reportedly received no response.
"I wanted to him to know that I didn't do it on purpose," Thomas said, per ESPN. "That's all I wanted him to know."
That matches Thomas’ sentiment immediately after the game, telling reporters he did not mean to hurt Rudolph.
Earl Thomas on his hit that knocked Mason Rudolph out of the game: "I didn’t try to intentionally hurt him. I’m worried about him. I heard he’s at the hospital. My prayers go out to him and his family" pic.twitter.com/axAewwJNI3
— Post-Gazette Sports (@PGSportsNow) October 6, 2019
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