The NFL rescinded the fine imposed on Baltimore Ravens linebacker Roquan Smith for the hit he delivered that left Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Chris Godwin with an apparent season-ending ankle injury, ESPN reported Tuesday.
Godwin suffered a dislocated left ankle in the Ravens’ 41-31 victory over the Bucs on Oct. 21. Per reports, the NFL ruled Smith brought down the receiver with an illegal hip-drop tackle.
Smith, 27, was not penalized for the hit during the game but was later fined $16,833 for unnecessary roughness, which the two-time All-Pro appealed.
Godwin, who is set to become a free agent in 2025, had seven receptions for 65 yards in the Week 7 game prior to the injury that occurred with less than a minute to play.
At the time, Godwin had an NFL-leading 50 catches for 576 yards — third most in the league at the time — and five touchdowns in seven games.
The Bucs placed Godwin on injured reserve on Oct. 23, and he underwent surgery on the dislocated ankle the next day. Recovery is expected to take 10-12 weeks, meaning he will miss the entire regular season, though it is possible he could return for the playoffs.
