The San Diego Chargers have slapped free safety Eric Weddle with a $10,000 fine for staying on the field to watch his daughter perform during half-time of a game against the Miami Dolphins last week.
Weddle’s agent David Canter tweeted about the fine on Monday after the three-time Pro Bowler was placed on injured reserve against his wishes and told he won’t be allowed to travel for the team’s season-ending game in Denver. San Diego head coach Mike McCoy later confirmed the penalty, calling it an “organizational call”.
Nothing more important than this. Especially 0 halftime adjustments in a blowout win at home. Worth the nonsense. pic.twitter.com/splYf7BWUa
— DEC Management (@davidcanter) December 29, 2015
The last-place Chargers, eliminated from playoff contention weeks ago, held a 23-0 half-time lead over the Dolphins on 20 December when Weddle remained on the field to watch his 7-year-old daughter Brooklyn dance in a program sponsored by the team’s cheerleaders, a violation of team policy.
The acrimony only further augurs the end of Weddle’s nine-year stint in San Diego, who selected him in the second round of the 2007 draft after a decorated career at the University of Utah.
The popular 30-year-old California native, known for his signature beard as much as his ball-hawking skills in the defensive backfield, is due to become an unrestricted free agent this spring and had expressed frustration with the team during the pre-season after negotiations over a contract extension reached an impasse. He will earn $7.5m this season, the last of a five-year, $40m deal.
The Chargers have since made it clear they have no interest in re-signing Weddle, a two-time All-Pro first team selection who has played 137 games with the club, making him one of the team’s longest tenured players.
Canter said on Monday that San Diego’s reason for not allowing Weddle to travel to Sunday’s game in Denver is because the team’s charter plane is too small, a claim he deemed “hysterical”.
Weddle leads the Chargers in tackles this season with 77.
