An emotional victory for the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday came at a cost, as several players were injured during the game, with DeVonta Smith’s injury being the most significant. Smith suffered a concussion and lay on the field for several minutes after officials hesitated to stop the play. As New Orleans Saints defenders were pulling him back, defensive tackle Khristian Boyd blindsided him, knocking him to the ground.
While it seemed Boyd was targeting Smith’s shoulder pads, C.J. Gardner-Johnson viewed it differently.
“That was the dirtiest thing I’ve ever seen in football,” Gardner-Johnson said, according to a team transcript. “Everyone saw that forward progress had been stopped. For them to take a cheap shot at one of our key players shows what kind of team they are. They’re just front-runners.”
“He is stopped at the 36 and begins to go backward…31, the whistle still hasn’t blown! Devonta Smith’s injury is one hundred percent on the officials yesterday, that didn’t blow their whistle.”
— @JoeDeCamara on the @WIPMorningShow
— SPORTSRADIO 94WIP (@SportsRadioWIP) September 23, 2024
The officials’ failure to blow the whistle while Smith was being dragged back by multiple defenders led to Boyd’s hit, raising concerns about several plays from the Saints’ defense. Offensive tackle Trevor Penning drew a 15-yard unsportsmanlike conduct penalty for pushing Darius Slay beyond the sideline and into the stands, resulting in an injury for Slay.
The Eagles focused on Smith’s injury and well-being. Notably, Boyd was not penalized for his hit.
“I saw him get knocked out, and that’s when I signaled to the training staff that he was out cold. It was frightening,” said offensive tackle Fred Johnson, who stepped in for Lane Johnson in the second half. “You never want to witness something like that, especially when he’s catching the ball and running backward for several steps.
“It’s up to the refs to stop the play and take appropriate action when there’s a late hit. Given DeVonta’s size, a lineman hitting him after he’s been running for five steps is unprofessional. They need to evaluate this situation and implement necessary changes.”
The Eagles expressed their dissatisfaction with the incident, although Boyd reached out on Instagram to wish Smith a speedy recovery, insisting he would never intentionally try to cause serious injury.
#Saints Khristian Boyd on IG story after hit on Devonta Smith: pic.twitter.com/BZUaqWOOvQ
— Valente ⚜️ #WhoDat #ExtendAlvinKamara (@VTalksSaints) September 22, 2024
“Regardless of how it happened, that has no place in football,” Gardner-Johnson stated. “Everyone talks about Ceedy this, Ceedy that, but let’s focus on the dirty plays from their side. Ultimately, the league will take care of it.”
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