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Randall Cobb Fined Over Illegal Hit On New York Giants Bobby McCain

New York Jets wide receiver Randall Cobb fined over illegal hit on Bobby McCain, a defensive back for the New York Giants, in the teams' last preseason game last weekend.

Randall Cobb Fined Over Illegal Hit On New York Giants Bobby McCain

Daniel Clark

Sep 04, 2023

New York Jets wide receiver, Randall Cobb, fined over illegal hit on Bobby McCain, a defensive back for the New York Giants, in the teams' last preseason game last weekend, a defensive back for the New York Giants, in the teams' last preseason game last weekend.

Tom Pelisserosays that Cobb was fined $13,889 for the hit. Cobb's hit was a blindside block, which is against the rules, and McCain was knocked out. It also seems to have led to a fight between defender Jihad Ward of the Giants and quarterback Aaron Rodgers.

Randall Cobb wearing a white long sweater and white cap on a podium
Randall Cobb wearing a white long sweater and white cap on a podium

HBO's "Hard Knocks" showed the hit and what Rodgers said about it. Rodgers got in trouble because he hit Tyler Conklin with a pass in the flat. Cobb ran to stop McCain and hit him from behind, which was against the rules. On the play, Cobb got a flag.

The play made Rodgers and Giants defender Jihad Ward fight on the field. A few plays after Cobb's hit, Ward shoved Rodgers. Rodgers told Cobb that he just lost all his training money when the Jets got back together. Cobb said he was sorry for the penalty, but he wanted to hit someone.

From the Giants' 47-yard line, a penalty of 15 yards was called. This put the Jets behind schedule and pushed the punt team onto the field three plays later. Rodgers said that Cobb, who is 33 years old, would lose a lot of money because of his mistake.

I was watching that in slow motion going, 'No, no, no, Cobby, what are you doing?' We were laughing because that wasn't a penalty when we started playing, but it’s been a penalty for a while, so not the smartest play. I said, 'Bro, you’ve got a third kid on the way. You just took money out of your pocket.'- Aaron Rodgers

Rodgers and Ward's interaction led to a famous back-and-forth on "Hard Knocks." It's one of the most popular clips from this year's practice docuseries, and fans loved how the quarterback talked trash. But his word to Cobb might have been even better:

In the old NFL, the block on McCain might not have been called a foul. But over the past few years, the league has been pretty clear about how it will rule on plays like that.

Ward gave his side of the story on Wednesday, saying that the Giants weren't happy that the Jets were laughing in the meeting about the illegal block. Thursday, Rodgers said that wasn't true. He said Ward was "making s*** up."

The NFL didn't get involved in the fight, but they agreed with the referees that Cobb's hit was too hard. Even though the fine is big, it's not likely to change how both teams feel about each other. The Giants and Ward are probably still upset about the play, and they will have a chance to tell Rodgers that when the teams play again in the regular season on Oct. 29.

Randall Cobb is a talented American footballplayer with a strong presence in the National FootballLeague (NFL). Born on August 22, 1990, in Maryville, Tennessee, Cobb rose to prominence during his college years, playing for the University of Kentucky's footballteam. His NFL journey began when he was drafted by the Green Bay Packers in the second round of the 2011 NFL Draft.

Final Say

During his tenure with the Green Bay Packers, which lasted from 2011 to 2018, Randall Cobb established himself as a versatile and reliable player. His versatility was evident as he contributed not only as a wide receiver but also as a dynamic return specialist. Cobb's ability to make critical plays and his knack for turning heads in pivotal moments earned him recognition among Packers fans and NFL enthusiasts.

While his career saw him don the jerseys of various NFL teams, including the Dallas Cowboys in 2019 and the Houston Texans in 2020, Randall Cobb remained a recognizable figure in the league. Cobb joined Gang Green in May, and Rodgers has been his quarterback for 10 of his 12 NFL seasons. The team picked him in the second round of the 2011 draft. He has caught 625 passes in 155 regular season games. Cobb caught 532 passes for 6,316 yards and 47 touchdowns in 10 seasons with Aaron Rodgers and the Green Bay Packers.

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