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Ramsey: NFL should worry about player safety, not uniform policy

Jayne Kamin-Oncea / Getty Images Sport / Getty

Los Angeles Rams cornerback Jalen Ramsey criticized the NFL on Saturday, saying the league should be more focused on players' well-being rather than regularly fining players for uniform violations.

"Player safety should be one of the most important things to talk about," Ramsey said, according to ESPN's Sarah Barshop. "It should probably be talked about more. And then shit like getting fined for socks ... or shit like getting fined for tights or BS or anything like that. ... That needs to not be talked about as much."

He added, "That's the stuff that they need to put an emphasis (on). Not freaking, "Oh, his socks are too high," or "His socks are too low." ... That's so lame. I'm so beyond that."

Ramsey said he's been fined every week this season for a uniform violation. He and Rams kicker Matt Gay recently joked about the NFL's uniform policy on Twitter after Gay was fined $5,000 for pant length in Week 1.

"I'm going to continue to get fined because I'm going to be swaggy out there," Ramsey said. "I'm going to wear the same thing this week too, so I'm ready for the fine. Come on with it, right?"

He continued, "But I play the game with integrity, right? I play the game the right way. I try to make sure people are safe."

Ramsey's comments come days after the NFL Players Association initiated an investigation into the Miami Dolphins' handling of an incident involving quarterback Tua Tagovailoa.

Tagovailoa left the Week 3 contest against the Buffalo Bills to be checked for a concussion after taking a big hit late in the second quarter and stumbling after getting to his feet. But he returned following halftime, and Miami head coach Mike McDaniel said postgame that a back injury caused the signal-caller to stumble.

Tagovailoa then was stretchered off the field during Thursday's game versus the Cincinnati Bengals due to head and neck injuries after his head appeared to hit the turf as he took a sack. McDaniel said Thursday he's certain Tagovailoa didn't suffer a concussion in Week 3.

On Saturday, the NFLPA reportedly fired the unaffiliated neurotrauma consultant involved in clearing Tagovailoa to return to the Bills game, noting the consultant made "several mistakes" in his evaluation.

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