Part of being an NFL linebacker means that during football season, once a week, you’re called upon to engage in what’s essentially hand-to-hand combat with men who outweigh you by, roughly, about 100 pounds and want nothing more than to hurt you to the point you will no longer have the capacity of leaving the field without assistance from a motorized vehicle.
Which means it’s not always going to be pretty. Which is why you can end up with hefty fines like the one the NFL handed out to Washington Commanders NFL All-Pro linebacker Frankie Luvu on October 4.
Luvu was fined $23,186 for unnecessary roughness in a loss to the Atlanta Falcons in Week 4.
“Two Commanders were fined following last week’s game at Atlanta: Frankie Luvu ($23,186) for a hip-drop tackle with 11:17 remaining in the 2Q and Ale Kaho ($4,685) for use of the helmet with 4:22 remaining in 3Q Both fines fall under Unnecessary roughness,” Commanders reporter Ben Standig wrote on his official X account.
Luvu Has History Playing on the Edge
Luvu’s particular path to the NFL means he has probably had to be even more vicious when it comes to how he handles business on the field.
Not only did Luvu go undrafted out of Washington State in 2018, he’s also undersized at 6-foot-3 and 235 pounds — probably 15-20 pounds less than what you might want out of an ideal linebacker.
Luvu earned All-Pro honors for the first time in his career in 2024 after he signed a 3-year, $31 million free agent contract with the Commanders and delivered 99 tackles, 12 TFL, 8.0 sacks, 14 QB hits, 7 pass deflections, 1 interception, 1 forced fumble and 2 fumble recoveries and started all 17 games.
With that style of play also comes a certain attitude — Luvu went viral for repeatedly drawing penalties against the Philadelphia Eagles famous “tush push” play in the NFC Championship Game.
Luvu got a warning from the referees that Philadelphia would just be awarded a touchdown if he continued to leap over the offensive line and into the backfield.
That’s not the only time Luvu has run afoul of NFL authority.
He’s incurred fines on each of the teams he played on. That includes approximately $20,000 for roughing the passer as a rookie with the New York Jets in 2018. He was fined another $10,000 with the Carolina Panthers in 2022 for a fight against the Arizona Cardinals.
Last season, Luvu was particularly feisty. He was fined $11,255 for unsportsmanlike conduct against the Eagles in the regular season then hit with another $33,766 for 2 fines in an NFC Divisional Round win over the Detroit Lions.
Luvu’s Role on Defense ‘Shifted’ in 2025
The Commanders seemed to thrive with a freewheeling defensive approach in 2024 that let Luvu essentially roam wild.
Riggo’s Rag’s Ryan Fowler pointed out recently that Luvu’s role has drastically changed in 2025 under second year defensive coordinator Joe Whitt Jr. — he’s now being asked to play assignment football.
“Last year, Luvu thrived in a scheme that blended aggression with unpredictability,” Fowler wrote on October 2. “His best plays came when he attacked unguarded space or when protections slid elsewhere. In 2025, he’s being asked to win without the schematic runway that made those plays accessible.”
Like Heavy Sports’s content? Be sure to follow us.
This article was originally published on Heavy Sports
The post NFL Makes Decision on Punishment for $31 Million Commanders All-Pro Frankie Luvu appeared first on Heavy Sports.