Harrison Smith likely to avoid suspension for shoving NFL official

Despite being ejected for shoving a referee in the second quarter of Sunday's 30-7 victory over the Tennessee Titans, Minnesota Vikings' rookie safety Harrison Smith may avoid being suspended by the NFL, ESPN's Adam Schefter is reporting.

According to Schefter, Smith will only get fined by the NFL. Smith was ejected from the game after he and a few Titans players were talking trash to one another and, as one referee restrained him, he shoved the official to the ground.

After the game, the University of Notre Dame product apologized for the shoving incident (via the Star-Tribune).

"Right after it happened, I realized I put my hands on the official," Smith said. "You just can't do it, period. So, I apologize to him. I apologize to my coaches, to my teammates, to the fans. It's just unacceptable."

This is good news for the Vikings, as they're a bit thin in the secondary. On Sunday, rookie Robert Balton stepped in and played well in the absence of Smith.

Smith, 23, was a first-round draft pick by the Vikings. So far this season, Smith has tallied 25 tackles in five starts for Minnesota.

Next Sunday, the Vikings visit the Washington Redskins (4:25 p.m. ET on FOX).

This story originally appeared at SB Nation.