Close Call for Wilfork

New England Patriots nose tackle Vince Wilfork has a less-than-stellar reputation in the NFL for playing dirty, and now he’s up at the chopping block once more. Wilfork has been a key defensive player in run-stopping and on the pass defense, but the 6’2”, 325 Pro Bowler sometimes goes overboard in his turf assaults. On Tuesday, Wilfork had to meet with NFL commissioner Roger Goodell concerning an elbow to the head of Denver Broncos quarterback Jay Cutler after Week 7’s matchup of the two teams. The defensive lineman was summoned to the stand after the Broncos claimed that the game tape showed Wilfork making an elbow swing at Cutler’s helmet.

While Wilfork escaped a suspension following the hit, he will likely receive a hefty fine for the action. Part of why the Patriots tackle got in trouble with the NFL following this seemingly-minor infraction is due to his track record, as he racked up a total of $35,000 in fines last season for four different incidents. These include a hit on Buffalo quarterback J.P. Losman and Dallas tight end Jason Witten, and also two incidents with facemasks as Wilfork stuck a finger inside New York Giants running back Brandon Jacobs’ facemask in one game during the season, earning yet another fine for grabbing the facemask of San Diego’s Michael Turner. While he’s not denying the penalties last season, Wilfork has been spending this season trying to clean up his image.

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