Common Sense Prevails as NFL Won't Fine Za'Darius Smith for 'Eileen' Tribute Shirt

Green Bay Packers pass rusher Za'Darius Smith risked drawing the ire of the NFL after lifting up his jersey to reveal a t-shirt meant to honor the mother of equipment staffer Ben Brooker, who is suffering from cancer, after sacking San Francisco 49ers quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo.

The NFL was oddly merciful here, as they decided (correctly) not to fine Smith for a uniform violation, citing that he was raising awareness for a good cause.

Good on the league for letting this slide, despite the fact they probably had to resist every impulse telling them to fine him.

Smith, who just signed with Green Bay after four years in Baltimore, already has a career-high 10 sacks in his first 12 games as a Packer, but none meant more to the Packers organization than his first sack against the 49ers.

Enjoy this while it lasts, because the NFL had another chance to comically trip over itself and look like draconian overlords that don't allow any fun or compassion in their league. They usually would've fined Smith, but it seems that they finally read the temperature of the room and decided to pull back.