Harrison Smith Will Not Be Suspended For Shoving Referee

Yesterday rookie safety and Designated Separator Of Footballs From Wide Receivers Harrison Smith got pretty chippy during the Vikes blowout win against Tennessee.

Unfortunately, some of his chippiness was directed at an NFL official. You so can't do that, and Smith was ejected from the game midway through the second quarter. There was a lot of speculation that he could face further suspension, but it looks like he will only be fined. Here is a GIF of the incident:

The GIF cuts off right at the moment Smith used both arms to shove off from the official that was trying to restrain him, and yeah, he should have been ejected for that. You just can't lay your hands on an official, no matter what is going on on the field. If you see the whole replay, Smith wasn't going after the official, he was just trying to separate himself from said official after he was trying to separate Smith and one of the players from the Titans. Fortunately, it's just a fine and a lesson learned for the young Vikings safety.

Smith has lead a rejuvenated Vikings secondary this season, and although backup Robert Blanton played adequately in his place after the ejection, a two or three game suspension would've really hurt a group that is quickly turning into one of the hardest hitting units in the NFL.