The Washington Commanders likely just wanted a nice, clean, efficient game from Sam Howell in his second career start. That doesn’t appear to be something the Arizona Cardinals’ Kyzir White was interested in accommodating. (Jonathan Gannon didn’t mean his cringe speech to be taken literally!)
Around halfway through the first quarter, Howell scrambled left while trying to make a play off schedule. He was already clearly being brought down and tackled before White leveled the signal caller from an extremely vulnerable position. It was the kind of hit that should have no place in the game in 2023, and White displayed little self-control in the game that didn’t need extra heat.
Naturally, White would be appropriately penalized 15 yards, and Howell appeared to be OK.
Sam Howell scrambled and took a SHOT at the end of the run.
He popped up and appears to be okay.#HTTC | @Sam7Howell pic.twitter.com/dmexedue3h
— Chad Ryan (@ChadwikoTWW) September 10, 2023
Professional football is a wild and unsafe game enough. We don’t need defenders like White adding unnecessary spice like this to it.
This was how Twitter reacted
Cheap shot https://t.co/hKvddCLhWZ
— UNC Sports Talk (@UNCSportsTalk) September 10, 2023
Kyzir White with a fabulous tribute to Isaiah Simmons.
— Scott Howard (@ScottHoward42) September 10, 2023
Kyzir White with a blatant roughness on Sam Howell. Geez pic.twitter.com/7zqGLgHpfW
— Ian Valentino (@NFLDraftStudy) September 10, 2023
Kyzir White starts his Cardinals career with a pretty dirty hit on Sam Howell 😬
— Jason Reed (@EatYourReedies) September 10, 2023
Gotta wonder if Kyzir White should be ejected.
— JP Finlay (@JPFinlayNBCS) September 10, 2023
Incredibly stupid play by Kyzir White.
Just not acceptable at all. 😡
— Joanna Cards Fan (@cardsfanjoanna) September 10, 2023
Yikes Kyzir White…can't do that.
— Johnny Venerable (@JohnnyVenerable) September 10, 2023
Kyzir white took gannons speech literally good lord
— weter (@ky13rmurray) September 10, 2023
Kyzir White with the cheap hit on Sam Howell.
The Commanders immediately are ready to throw blows to protect their QB.
That's how it should be.— JustJeff (@TheJeffSchlegel) September 10, 2023