The NFL did not fine Arizona Cardinals linebacker Dennis Gardeck for the hit that caused a few moments of concern for the 49ers in Week 15.
Gardeck was penalized for unnecessary roughness against 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy in the second quarter of Sunday’s game. But the NFL determined the infraction did not rise to the level of being assessed a fine, too.
Gardeck delivered an apparent glancing helmet-to-helmet hit on Purdy after he unloaded a short pass to fullback Kyle Juszczyk in the 49ers’ 45-29 victory over the Cardinals.
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Purdy remained on the ground with a shoulder stinger and was examined by the team’s medical staff. He returned to action after missing three plays.
“I just laid there for a sec, and sort of let it calm down,” Purdy said after the game. “And then I was able to get up and go to the tent, and then from there I got better. Literally, as time went on, it just started to go away. That was why I was able to go back in there mid-drive.”
In the immediate aftermath of the play, it was not clear what was wrong with Purdy. And he said he was not sure, either.
“I’ve never had [a stinger] before,” Purdy said. “So when I got hit, I probably could have popped up if someone grabbed my arm and pulled me up. This was my first time having it. Just based off of guys, my teammates, how they explain a stinger, that is definitely what I [was] feeling.”
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Four plays after Purdy returned to the field, he threw a 5-yard touchdown pass to running back Christian McCaffrey that gave the 49ers a 21-14 halftime lead.
Purdy finished the game with 16 completions on 25 pass attempts for 242 yards and four touchdowns with no interceptions.
The NFL did not assess any fines from the 49ers-Cardinals game for on-field, safety-related infractions.
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