Patriots Rookie Marte Mapu Fined For Illegal Hit On Jaylen Waddle

The NFL on Saturday punished Marte Mapu for the hit that landed Jaylen Waddle in concussion protocol.

The New England Patriots rookie was fined $5,620 for unnecessary roughness against the Miami Dolphins receiver.

Mapu's helmet-to-helmet hit late in last Sunday's primetime Patriots loss at Gillette Stadium drew a 15-yard penalty and knocked Waddle out of the game. Waddle was diagnosed with a concussion and will not play Sunday in Miami's Week 3 matchup with the Denver Broncos.

The fine was the first of Mapu's young NFL career and the first assessed to a Patriots player this season.

A third-round draft pick out of Sacramento State, Mapu played 30 defensive snaps against the Dolphins, rotating between safety and linebacker alignments. Teammates and coaches have lauded his versatility and football IQ.

The Patriots are set to visit the New York Jets on Sunday at MetLife Stadium.