NFL fines Steelers LB Kwon Alexander for illegal hit against Raiders

The NFL levied a hefty fine against Steelers linebacker Kwon Alexander after a third-quarter hit he made last Sunday against the Raiders.

Tim Pelissero of the NFL Network reported that the league checked Alexander for $43,709. His fine was higher than normal because the NFL deems Alexander as a repeat offender. And the illegal part of the hit? He used his helmet on the tackle of Josh Jacobs.

The officials didn’t flag Alexander for the hit. Rather, the NFL discovered it on the replay.

The NFL fined #Steelers LB Kwon Alexander $43,709 for unnecessary roughness — illegal use of helmet in last week’s win over the #Raiders.

Alexander is a repeat offender. No flag was thrown.

— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) September 30, 2023

Alexander is in his first season in Pittsburgh. He’s played in all three games and has made 18 tackles.

Alexander wasn’t the only Steelers player who ended up on Saturday’s NFL naughty list. The league levied a $13,792 fine against safety Miles Killebrew. He was guilty of unneccessary roughness for a hit he made late in the first half of an eventual 23-18 Steelers win. Officials did drop a flag on Killebrew, so the fine probably wasn’t a surprise. Through three games, the NFL has fined nine Steelers.

But there was one player who didn’t show up on the list — safety Minkah Fitzpatrick. Officials did call him for a roughing the passer penalty against Jimmy Garoppolo.

You can have another look at the play. The Raiders eventually scored on the drive.

Better angle of Minkah sack #Steelers pic.twitter.com/m4VbzXfDOp

— Steelers Depot 7⃣ (@Steelersdepot) September 25, 2023

The Steelers play the Texans, Sunday, for what should be an emotional game for one of their biggest stars. TJ Watt will be on hand to see his big brother, J.J. Watt, be inducted into the Houston Texans Ring of Honor. The entire Watt family will be on hand to celebrate JJ, who retired from the NFL after last season.

The Texans feature rookie quarterback CJ Stroud, who was the No. 2 pick of the draft behind Carolina’s Bryce Young. Then Houston selected linebacker Will Anderson. Both those players are big contributors. Houston is one of five teams that had the luxury of two picks among the top 32 in the draft. The Steelers are also among the five, with offensive tackle Broderick Jones and defensive back Joey Porter. But the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports that the Steelers and Eagles are the only two teams among those five who have yet to start those coveted rookies.

Porter probably is getting a lot closer to cracking the starting lineup. He comes in when Pittsburgh goes with its dime (six defensive backs) package. Last week, he played 27 snaps against the Raiders. That was more than he played in the first two games combined (21 snaps).