Adam Schefter of ESPN is reporting via Twitter that the league has levied fines against both the Pittsburgh Steelers and wide receiver Emmanuel Sanders for the cramp incident in the Sunday game against the Cincinnati Bengals back in Week 7. Schefter reports that the Steelers were fined $35,000, while Sanders was fined $15,000 for the incident.
League officials Merton Hanks and Ray Anderson were in Pittsburgh last Friday to ask Sanders about the incident as the Steelers third-year receiver was accused of faking a cramp to save the team from having to take a timeout in the game against the Bengals. Prior to Sanders dropping to the ground, the Steelers were in danger of running out of time on the play clock as quarterback Ben Roethlisberger had gotten up slowly on the preceding play. The trainers helped Sanders off of the field with him favoring one leg, but he was back one play later to down a pooch punt by Roethlisberger on the ensuing fourth down.
The league is certainly taking the opportunity to make an example out of the Steelers here and it really shouldn\’t be surprising. While there is no way to prove that Sanders didn\’t really have a cramp, the evidence against his actions was pretty overwhelming when you watch the replay.
Personally, I thought that the Steelers and Sanders would just get a slap on the wrist and we don\’t know if the wide receiver admitted to faking the injury or not.
