Last year, Dunta Robinson was fined $50,000 for an illegal hit on DeSean Jackson that left both players with concussions. This year, he once again laid another illegal hit to the head of an Eagles WR and has been fined just $40,000. Although he is now a repeat offender and this hit was to me made with far more intent than the Jackson hit... and yet the fine is lower this time.
The fine was handed down by the NFL's VP of football operations, former 49er Merton Hanks. Hanks was himself a 4 time pro bowl safety who played nine years in the league, so he certainly does know what a defensive back faces in the NFL.
I'm really not sure what lead to the lower fine. Was it because Maclin wasn't injured on the play? Are there new guidelines in the CBA regarding this type of discipline in the NFL? I really don't know, but reducing fines for repeated offenses doesn't seem like a sensible deterrent. It's a healthy fine, don't get me wrong... but you fined the guy once to make him learn to not make that kind of hit again and obviously that didn't work. So for a lesser fine are we really expecting different results?