Vikings safety Harrison Smith cleared of choking accusations in Week 8
By Adam Carlson
It may have looked like Harrison Smith was choking Dallas Cowboys receiver CeeDee Lamb in Week 8 but the Vikings safety was cleared of those allegations.
There were a ton of reasons to be sad when the Minnesota Vikings took on the Dallas Cowboys in Week 8. The team lost to a backup quarterback, they lost Danielle Hunter for the season, and the offense looked absolutely inept in front of the crowd at U.S. Bank Stadium.
Even with all that going on, one of the strangest and disappointing moments of the game came when veteran safety Harrison Smith got tied up with Cowboys receiver CeeDee Lamb on a play that ended out of bounds.
At the end of the play, Smith was pulling back on Lamb while in a position that looked as though he was attempting to choke out the Dallas pass-catcher UFC style. You can watch the play HERE. Even Lamb went to the bench to talk about the alleged chokehold.
What really happened after the play?
According to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero on Twitter, the play was reviewed by multiple people and it was determined that the action was not malicious and Harrison Smith will not be fined.
The NFL didn't fine #Vikings S Harrison Smith, whom #Cowboys WR CeeDee Lamb claimed in a mic'd up segment “was choking the s*** out of me on the sideline." Multiple league officials reviewed the play and it appeared Smith's thumb accidentally was caught in Lamb's chinstrap.
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) November 6, 2021
It would have been hugely disappointing for a veteran player like Smith who is not known for dirty play to resort to choking a player after a play. Even if he was frustrated with how the game was going, there is no excuse for purposely assaulting a player.
Knowing that it was likely just an incident where Smith’s thumb was caught in Lamb’s chinstrap should be a relief to many fans who didn’t want to think that the two-time All-Pro and five-time Pro Bowl safety would do something like that.
Harrison Smith and the Minnesota Vikings will face another tough task in Week 9 when they take on the Baltimore Ravens. You can watch the game live from Baltimore, Maryland on Sunday, Nov. 7 on FOX.