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Katherine Terrell, ESPN Staff WriterNov 27, 2024, 03:02 PM ET
- Katherine Terrell came back to ESPN to cover the New Orleans Saints in the summer of 2022. She left the company in 2019 after joining in 2016 to cover the Cincinnati Bengals. Katherine is a graduate of LSU and a Baton Rouge, Louisiana, native, and she has covered the NFL since 2013. You can follow Katherine on Twitter: @Kat_Terrell
New Orleans Saints defensive tackle Nathan Shepherd successfully appealed an $11,817 unnecessary roughness fine, according to a source.
Shepherd was accused of intentionally trying injure Los Angeles Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert in a Week 8 game on Oct. 27. Several Chargers players said Shepherd tried to re-injure Herbert’s right ankle, which had been sprained earlier in the season.
Shepherd appealed the fine and received notice from the NFL last week that it would be rescinded. This was Shepherd’s only fine and penalty of the season to date.
Shepherd and Chargers center Bradley Bozeman were both flagged for unnecessary roughness after Shepherd pulled Herbert to the ground while Herbert was throwing a pass. While on the ground, Shepherd rolled over with his arms around Hebert’s right leg as Herbert went down, causing the quarterback’s right ankle to become twisted in Shepherd’s grip.
Bozeman jumped on Shepherd and shoved him off Herbert, causing the officials to assess offsetting unnecessary roughness penalties on both players. Bozeman was not fined for the penalty.
Bozeman was given a game ball by Chargers coach Jim Harbaugh for his actions, which he said stemmed from wanting to protect his quarterback.
Former Saints coach Dennis Allen, who was fired the next week after a loss to the Carolina Panthers, defended Shepherd the next day after social media commenters also accused Shepherd of dirty play.
