The NFL issued more than 400 fines for on-field infractions during the 2023 NFL season. But only one player was docked for a penalty in Super Bowl LVIII, with Kansas City Chiefs linebacker Nick Bolton ordered to pay more than $8,000 for a horse-collar tackle.
The Chiefs and San Francisco 49ers combined for six penalties in the Super Bowl, which K.C. won in overtime. Bolton’s flag for unnecessary roughness came with 11:59 left in the second quarter, and his full fine came out to $8,238, per the NFL.
The two-time Super Bowl champion linebacker chased down 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy, who scrambled to his left, and briefly got his right hand beneath Purdy’s jersey, pulling the QB’s collar as he drove him toward the sideline. While the infraction didn’t appear egregious, as Bolton did not drag Purdy to the ground, it did cost the Chiefs 15 yards and reward the 49ers a first down.
None of the other in-game penalties resulted in a post-game fine, the NFL announced. The fines collected by the league from perceived safety-related violations are donated to the Professional Athletes Foundation and the NFL Foundation.
Bolton, meanwhile, played a key role in the Chiefs repeating as Super Bowl champs. He led K.C. with 13 tackles against San Francisco, also logging a tackle for loss and two separate QB hits. Surgery cost him nine games during the 2023 regular season, but he previously served as one of the Chiefs’ top tacklers, finishing 2022 with a career-high 180 takedowns.
