49ers S Malik Mustapha's illegal hit, if flagged, would have extended Seattle's final drive

Published October 18, 2026 10:56 AM The NFL’s habit of disclosing weekly fines can often reveal the league office’s opinion regarding whether the game officials failed to call a foul when a flag should have been thrown.It happens most frequently regarding the rule against lowering the helmet to make forcible contact with an opponent. On Monday night, for example, a clear instance of lowering the helmet and initiating by Bills running back James Cook drew a $21,167 fine; the violation was not flagged.During Sunday’s game between the 49ers and the Seahawks, a more consequential miss happened — and the league’s decision to impose a fine acknowledges it.With 1:13 to play and the Seahawks facing first and 10 from the 50, Seattle quarterback Sam Darnold threw a pass to receiver Jaxon Smith-Njiba. The reception was broken up by what Fox’s Kevin Burkhardt called a “wicked hit” from 49ers safety Malik Mustapha.The hit was also illegal, in the eyes of the league office. Mustapha was fined $6,998 for the blow that left Smith-Njigba rattled after the play. (Mustapha apparently responded to the fine by posting a one-word message — “soft” — on social media.) But no flag was thrown for an illegal hit on a defenseless player. If the officials had seen the play the way the league office did, the Seahawks would have gotten a first down at the San Francisco 35 with 1:09 to play.Instead, the Seahawks failed to convert, thanks both to an uncharacteristic drop from Smith-Njigba and a razor-thin decision that receiver Cooper Kupp had failed to get the ball to the sticks before it went out of bounds.We’ll never know what the Seahawks would have down with a fresh set of downs from the 35 in a three-point game with 69 seconds left. But we do know, based on the fine imposed on Mustapha, that the league office believes the hit was illegal and, by implication, a flag should have been thrown.