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Chicago Bears linebacker Brian Urlacher said that defensive players now have to think twice before making a big hit because of the various consequences. With the penalties, fines, and suspensions the NFL is handing out for hits Urlacher and other defensive players have to be careful with what type of hit they put on a player.
Urlacher said players are aware of the consequences for an improper hit, saying, "we're definitely mindful of that. You don't want to get penalized or fined or suspended now." The NFL has been handing out harsher punishments for hits to the head with the rise in public awareness of concussions over the past couple years. This is not the first time Urlacher has spoken out against the NFL's punishments against defensive players; he complained last November that there was not a clear line of what was and what was not allowed.
Urlacher, like many defensive players, also expressed displeasure with the lack of suspensions handed out for cut blocks, saying, "you can take some guy's knee out, but you can't hit someone in the head."