T.J. Ward on NFL penalties: "The league is very inconsistent"

Terrell Ray Ward has been in the limelight of the National Football League for five years. This season, T.J. Ward has been under the watchful eye of the NFL; that is not a good thing.

Ward, a second round pick out of the University of Oregon by the Cleveland Browns, has played the best football of his career here in the Mile High City. This season alone, Ward has accumulated 45 tackles, two forced fumbles, and two sacks; but he has also paid $27,363 in fines.

“It seems to go that way every week. Whatever,” Ward told reporters on Sunday.

Ward has been fined multiple times this season for personal fouls and late hits. Most recently, $10,000 for throwing a punch at Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Jeremy Maclin– an act that got Ward ejected. And that is not even the worst one. Ward was fined a whopping $17,363 for what seemed like a clean hit on Indianapolis Colts wide out T.Y. Hilton, and the NFL claimed it as helmet-to-helmet.

“The league is very inconsistent. I think once a guy gets red flagged, it becomes anything he does. That’s how I feel,” Ward said on the status of the NFL keeping a watchful eye on him. ”Once I got fined for the hit, I got fined for my jersey. You’re on a watch list.”

It is not even just him; Ward believes the league is watching the whole defensive side of the ball. “We got the message,” Ward said. “Some of those penalties came from us playing hard. But we do have to stop those. We have to follow the rules.”

Last Sunday in Chicago, Denver had eight penalties called against them for 118-yards, the Bears had zero.

Ward was seen all over Soldier Field Sunday and made a lasting impact. Ward accounted for five total tackles, including the play of the game; a stop on a two point conversion that would have tied the game with less than one minute left.

Former Broncos quarterback Jay Cutler led the Bears on a 65-yard drive late in the 4^th quarter to cut the lead to two points; a drive that was assisted by penalties. “It was very relieving, because I don’t feel they got down there by honest measure,” Ward was emotional after the win. ”I don’t feel they got down the field honestly. To stop them, it was very fulfilling.”

When you are on the leagues number one defense, you have to keep a cool head, something Ward has not done this season. When the defending Super Bowl champs come to town on Sunday night; Ward better have his head in the game, or he’ll end up getting hit in the checkbook.