- Oct 16, 2026
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San Francisco 49ers safety Mustapha has been fined $6,998 by the league for an illegal hit on a defenseless player during Sunday's game against the Seattle Seahawks, the NFL announced.
The play occurred with 1:13 remaining and Seattle facing first-and-10 from the 50-yard line. Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold targeted wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba on a pass that was broken up. No penalty was called on the field, though the league's fine acknowledges officials missed the infraction. Had a flag been thrown, Seattle would have gained a first down at the San Francisco 35 with 1:09 left in a three-point contest.
Instead, the Seahawks failed to convert. Smith-Njigba dropped a subsequent attempt, and Cooper Kupp was ruled short of the sticks on the final play.
Fox broadcaster Kevin Burkhardt described the hit as a "wicked hit" during the telecast. Mustapha later posted the word "soft" on social media in response to the fine.
The unflagged penalty drew comparisons to Bills running back James Cook, who was fined $21,167 for lowering his helmet in a Monday night game that also went unflagged.
Source: ProFootballTalk - Sun Oct 18, 10:56 AM ET
Written by the SportsMafia Wire desk in our own words from the original reporting (AI-assisted, checked against the source).