Six sacks as a rookie had made Chop Robinson look like a player Miami could build around. Four the following season slowed that momentum. So when Jeff Hafley took over the Dolphins’ defense this year, Robinson entered a pivotal third season with a simpler assignment. He was no longer being asked to think as much about dropping into coverage. As Robinson put it in the offseason, his job was to “set the edge and get the quarterback.”

Through three weeks, the numbers still had not caught up with the expectation. Miami was the NFL’s only team without a sack, even though its pass rush had started to create more pressure against Kansas City. With the Chiefs pinned at their own 5-yard line late in the third quarter, Patrick Mahomes dropped back on third-and-9. Robinson came off the edge, closing in just as Mahomes released a pass toward Rashee Rice. Robinson reached him. The pass fell incomplete, but the play did not end there. He drove Mahomes into the turf and was flagged for roughing the passer, giving Kansas City a first down and leaving Robinson waiting to find out whether the NFL would add a fine to the penalty.

When the league released its Week 3 accountability report, there were 30 plays that resulted in fines, including multiple unnecessary roughness violations, but Robinson was not among the players fined.

This decision fits Robinson’s clean track record in the league. The young pass rusher has avoided repeat-offender status and does not have a history of dirty plays. Miami’s defense has seen similar moments before, where refs throw a flag on the field during live action just to be safe, but league reviewers later agree the defender did nothing wrong and clear them of any fines.

The NFL’s rules are particularly strict when a defender lands on a quarterback with his body weight. That is why Robinson’s hit was penalized even though he had already committed to the pass rush before making contact. He also appeared to put his hands down while falling, but the officials determined that the play still met the standard for roughing the passer.

Even when it happened, Robinson hadn’t hidden his confusion about the call afterward. When asked what he could have done differently to avoid the penalty, the Dolphins linebacker admitted he was not sure.

“I’m honestly not too sure, but either way, that’s what they called, so that’s what we got to play on. Next play,” Robinson said. But, he later pointed to the one adjustment he could make if he found himself in the same position again.

“Just put my hands out earlier, but it’s a football play. That’s what the refs called, so I had to move on from it,” Robinson said. “That’s what I could do better on that play, but that’s what they called, and that’s what it is.”

The NFL did not issue an official statement on Robinson, but the league’s fine board looks for clear intent and dangerous technique before taking money out of a player’s pocket. While refs on the field flag body-weight contact to protect quarterbacks, the league office only hands out fines when a hit is clearly avoidable or dirty.

Because Robinson tried to put his hands down to break his fall and did not hit Mahomes high or late, league officials viewed it as a football play rather than a fineable offense.

The penalty also had a real effect on the game. Mahomes’ incompletion on third down would have left Kansas City deep in its own territory, but Robinson’s penalty gave the Chiefs a fresh set of downs. The drive lasted 13 plays and covered 80 yards before Harrison Butker’s field goal extended Kansas City’s lead to 17-10 in the fourth quarter.

Patrick Mahomes Reveals What Happened After Chop Robinson’s Hit

The hit initially looked worse because Mahomes briefly grabbed his back after getting up. Still, he stayed in the game and continued running the offense. Kansas City eventually finished the afternoon with a 24-10 victory, moving to 3-0 on the season.

Head coach Andy Reid also addressed the collision after the game. He acknowledged how hard Mahomes was hit while pointing out that the quarterback got back up and continued playing.

“Yeah, I think it was more than a chiropractor could do, so I think every bone in his body cracked on that one, but he got back up and kept firing,” Reid said.

Reid also explained why he was comfortable with the roughing call being made in Mahomes’ favor. He pointed to the importance of protecting quarterbacks and keeping them available to play.

“Listen, the thing with the quarterbacks is it’s a very vulnerable position. It’s also a position that everybody wants to see that quarterback play in the game,” Reid said. “So, it attracts attention to the game. Attention is good for everybody as it works its way through there for you guys, for the coaches, for the fans, for the players, the different teams. So, you want to try to keep these guys as upright as you possibly can. I get how things work there.”

“I’m doing great. It was like a natural chiropractor, so I felt better after the game, so I’m doing fine,” Mahomes said.

Mahomes finished the game with 246 passing yards, two touchdowns, and one interception. More importantly for the Chiefs, he did not miss any time after the Robinson hit and continued playing through the rest of the game.