National Football League

Finnegan criticizes NFL's punishment

Published Nov. 30, 2010 12:00 a.m. ET

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Tennessee Titans cornerback Cortland Finnegan said Tuesday that if he had thrown a punch at Texans wide receiver Andre Johnson he would have been suspended, USA Today reported.

During the fourth quarter of Sunday's 20-0 Texans win, Johnson and Finnegan got into a fight, with each player tearing the other's helmet off. Johnson proceeded to throw two punches to Finnegan's head.

The NFL issued each player a $25,000 fine on Monday, but neither was suspended. Finnegan said if he had been the one throwing punches, the NFL would have suspended him.

"As a respect issue, when your helmet comes off, the play is over," Finnegan told Nashville's 104.5 FM. "Did I want it to escalate into that? Absolutely not. At a point he snapped and he started throwing blows. The only thing that upsets me … is if you reverse that and it's me I have a game suspension."

Finnegan has been fined three previous times this season and has been called out by some opposing players for playing dirty. But Finnegan said that the Pro Bowl wide receiver escalated the situation to an "unheard of" level.

"He got my helmet off and I got his. To me, that is the end of the play," Finnegan said. "This is the NFL, not the NHL, and it is a higher standard. That's the NHL, they fight and they get penalties for that. In the NFL that is unheard of. You do that and you are suspended, hands down. That is what I have been taught, that is what everyone knows."

Finnegan said he intends to appeal the fine. The AFC South rivals will meet again in Tennessee on Dec. 19.