San Francisco 49ers safety George Odum looks on before an NFL preseason football game against the Minnesota Vikings on Saturday in Minneapolis.
Abbie Parr/APThe NFL fined San Francisco 49ers safety George Odum more than $5,000 for allegedly breaking the league’s uniform rules during a preseason game on Saturday.
The former Colts player was officially fined $5,305 for failing “to cover the knee area.” While a backup safety receiving a relatively low-level penalty for something done in an exhibition game normally wouldn’t garner much attention, Odum believes the fine might be a case of mistaken identity.
“So I got fined 5k.. yeah The NFL something else’s,” Odum wrote on Twitter, including the NFL’s letter and an image of himself on the field with his knees covered. “Talking about my knees NOT covered. Where?”
The image Odum posted also shows that it might have been the player behind him. One player being confused for another on the field happens occasionally when officials announce the wrong player for a penalty, but that’s an in-the-moment thing where a person has to make a decision in real time. The league appears to have done this even with the benefit of having time to discern who the violator was.
This punishment isn’t set in stone, as Odum can appeal the fine and get a hearing over this penalty, according to the league’s letter.
Outside of the fine, Odum did have a productive game against the Vikings on Saturday, recording an interception, a deflected pass and one tackle.