NFL Rule Book: Rule 12, Section 2, Article 15: Facemask Penalty: “If a player grasps an opponent’s facemask or helmet opening, he must immediately release it. He shall not grasp and control, twist, turn, push, or pull the facemask or helmet opening of an opponent in any direction.”
“Penalty: For twisting, turning, pushing, pulling, or controlling the mask or helmet opening: Loss of 15 yards. The player may be disqualified if the action is flagrant. If the foul is by the defense, it is also an automatic first down.”

In a poll conducted by ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler last year, NFL coaches and executives ranked the Baltimore Ravens’ linebacker Roquan Smith as the second-best off-ball linebacker in the league, behind the San Francisco 49ers’ Fred Warner. But for a couple of seasons now, Smith has not been performing great, at least by his standards. Reason? He’s not your usual stat-stuffer. 

When you look beyond the numbers, you will notice that he brings the attitude, mental edge, and is a tone-setter for the entire defense. However, first-year head coach Jesse Minter probably dislikes one of his ‘qualities’ that has been keeping him in trouble, especially this season, as was reflected in two discipline letters the NFL sent him after Week 8, probably to the linebacker’s surprise because the way the officials have been ignoring his methods raises a big question.

As per NFL.com’s list of Week 8 fines, Smith got fined $17,911 for unnecessary roughness on Allen for a facemask penalty. He received another slip worth $17,911 for a hit on a defenseless player on a different play. What happened on the field, though, was a concerning trend.

Josh Allen finds an opposing thought after his comment on Smith’s play

All of this transpired during the Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen’s 1-yard touchdown run in the first quarter with 10:12 on the clock. Allen refused to give up after the Ravens stopped his third-down attempt. The Bills quarterback lined up for another quarterback sneak on the ensuing fourth-and-1 and managed to push across the goal line. But Smith wouldn’t have it.

As Allen fought his way into the end zone, Smith grabbed his facemask and twisted his head to the side. The QB lost his balance and fell to the ground. The referees, however, simply didn’t throw a flag.

“I don’t think that happens too often, but it’s football,” Allen told the reporters later. “It’s a physical game and stuff like that is going to happen.”

Not everyone agreed with Buffalo’s Superman, who seems to be steel-built.

“There’s dirty players, then there is Roquan Smith,” Dave Myers of the Built in Buffalo podcast said. “Dude should be suspended for trying to pull Josh Allen’s head off.”

The aggression was expected as the Bills were coming off a 41-40 win over the Ravens in their last meeting in September 2025. Added to the burden was the pressure of ranking last in the AFC North standings. This left Smith to take the matter into his own hands, which is now costing him. 

Although many wanted to see the linebacker suspended for the facemask incident, the league instead fined him for the violation. Interestingly, this wasn’t his only facemask penalty, that, surprise, surprise, got ignored on the field.

Smith somehow keeps escaping the in-game facemask penalties

The last facemask penalty in this very season was in Week 2 against the New Orleans Saints. Tyler Shough scored on a fourth-down sneak with 1:43 remaining in the regulation to give the Saints a 24-17 win over the Ravens. Smith, again, grabbed his facemask during the play. Worse, the officials did not flag the linebacker.

The league reviewed the incident and fined him $11,941 later, the amount of a first-time offense for a facemask penalty.

Smith wasn’t done with his antics against Buffalo. Nor were the officials ready to take a look.

Roquan Smith’s disciplinary issues add to Ravens’ concerns

Down with nine weeks, Smith’s pocket now feels lighter after receiving three fines. Two of them came against the Bills. Other than the facemask penalty, Smith also received a fine for hitting DJ Moore across the middle, who was a defenseless player. 

Under Rule 12, Section 2, Article 9 of the 2026 NFL Rulebook:

“It is a foul if a player initiates unnecessary contact against a player who is in a defenseless posture. A player who initiates contact against a defenseless opponent is responsible for avoiding an illegal act.

“A standard of strict liability applies for any contact against an opponent, even if his body position is in motion, and irrespective of any acts by him, such as ducking his head or curling up his body in anticipation of contact.”

No other player from the Week 8 game on either side of the field was penalized.

Smith’s reputation as an elite NFL defender earned him a lucrative five-year, $100 million contract extension with the Ravens before the 2023 season. However, he endured what many considered a disappointing 2025 campaign. Despite registering 130 tackles, the linebacker failed to add a sack or interception to his season tally.

While the 2026 season came with an opportunity to whitewash his image, the penalties might turn out to be costly, leading the Ravens to make a tough decision about letting him go.