The NFL fined Arizona Cardinals safety Kitan Crawford $5,775 for an illegal blindside block on Seattle Seahawks cornerback Nehemiah Pritchett. The hit occurred during a punt return in Seattle’s 17-3 win over Arizona on Nov. 8.
The league announced the fine on Saturday, Nov. 14, as part of its weekly review of on-field violations. The incident took place with 6:23 left in the first quarter. Officials did not flag Crawford during the game, but the NFL later determined that the contact warranted a penalty.
Under NFL rules, an illegal blindside block involves a player initiating forcible contact with an opponent using the helmet, shoulder or forearm while moving toward or parallel to the player’s own end line, except in situations covered by the close-line-play exception. Crawford’s fine was his first reported NFL penalty of the 2026 season.
## Seahawks Players Also Fined After the Win
Crawford was not the only player fined after the NFC West matchup. Seahawks linebacker Ernest Jones IV received a $23,882 fine for unnecessary roughness involving illegal use of his helmet in the first quarter. The amount was among the largest fines issued by the NFL for Week 9.
Seattle cornerback Devon Witherspoon was fined $17,911 for taunting Cardinals tight end Trey McBride in the fourth quarter. Both Seahawks incidents drew penalties during the game, unlike Crawford’s block.
The three fines totaled $47,568, including $41,793 assessed to Seattle players. The disciplinary decisions did not affect the result: the Seahawks held Arizona to three points, with the Cardinals unable to score after the first quarter.
Seattle was scheduled to face the Las Vegas Raiders on Sunday, Nov. 15.
