The illegal block by San Francisco 49ers defensive end Nick Bosa on Minnesota Vikings tackle Brian O'Neill following cornerback Richard Sherman's interception of Kirk Cousins ended up costing the rookie. The NFL has fined Bosa $28,075 for the hit, according to Tom Pelissero of NFL Network.
#49ers DE Nick Bosa was fined $28,075 for his blindslide block on #Vikings RT Brian O'Neill after an interception last week. O'Neill left the game to be evaluated for a concussion.
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) January 18, 2020
Vikings players called Bosa's hit a "cheap shot."
"I didn't see the hit," Vikings head coach Mike Zimmer said of the play when asked about it after the game. "I just heard (from players that) it was just a cheap shot, which I think it was."
49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan was asked about the accusations by the Vikings who felt the hit was uncalled for and deliberate.
"I think people say 'cheap shot' when someone gets hit violently," Shanahan responded. "To me, the word 'cheap shot' means your intent is to try to hurt someone. I don't think he's thinking about that at all.
"I mean, that's a normal block in football, for a long time. The guy wasn't completely out of the play. He was a guy who could have made the tackle, and Bosa went and hit him.
I mean, you can't do that now. You can't hit a guy in that position. You've basically got to set a screen, which means let him hit you, and just take it. That's part of this game, and that's what you've got to do, and that's what we'll coach him up on because you will get a penalty for that."
