Mike Zimmer agrees with penalty on Holton Hill for ugly hit, but says running QBs should be 'fair game'

The Vikings coach says that though Hill didn't make a legal hit on Paxton Lynch, they 'should be able to hit' a QB who runs

Minnesota Vikings cornerback Holton Hill will certainly be hearing from the NFL after his helmet-to-helmet hit on Seattle Seahawks quarterback Paxton Lynch in the fourth quarter of Sunday night's preseason game. Lynch was running an option play and took off with the football in the direction of Hill with a late attempt to slide. 

As Lynch slid into the ground, Hill lowered his helmet and collided with Lynch's helmet in a bang-bang play. Lynch was on the ground for a few minutes before walking off under his own power with a concussion. Vikings head coach Mike Zimmer didn't agree with the kind of hit Hill made, but believes defensive players are at the mercy of avoiding quarterbacks. 

Especially when they take off and run. 

"Number one, we don't want to see anybody get hurt. I told Pete that after the game. I'm sorry about his quarterback," Zimmer said to reporters after the game. "Number two, he can't drop his head. But saying that, when a quarterback is running an option, he oughta be fair game other than lowering your head and hitting him in the head. 

"If they're going to let these quarterbacks be runners, we should be able to hit him. Now he didn't hit him legally, but we need to hit these guys." 

That Paxton Lynch hit was baaaaaaaad pic.twitter.com/BduSwGBFcu

— Evan Webeck (@EvanWebeck) August 19, 2019

Carroll didn't address the Lynch hit, but revealed the quarterback is doing better than the hit showed in in slow motion. 

"He went through the protocol, and he's still in there now," Carroll said. "He felt like he was OK, but he's still got to pass those tests, so we'll recognize all the process and take care of that."

This offseason has been a rough one for Hill as he has been suspended four games for violating the league's substance abuse policy last month, his second suspension of the offseason. Back in April, Hill was also hit with a four-game suspension for violating the league's policy on performance-enhancing substances. Both suspensions call for Hill to miss four games, which means he's going to have to sit out a total of eight games before he'll be allowed to return. 

A fine may be coming Hill's way for the Lynch hit.