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49ers fullback Kyle Juszczyk won his appeal of a pair of $14,926 fines the NFL imposed on him for his pretend-chugging celebrations, two sources familiar with the ruling tell Front Office Sports.
The NFL and the NFL Players Association said in a joint statement later in the day that “recent celebrations imitating drinking a beverage will not be considered violations or result in discipline.” The league and union also clarified other issues related to the NFL’s enforcement of its sportsmanship-related rules and fines for players for violations.
The Juszczyk case was resolved by one of the appeals officers jointly appointed and compensated by the NFL and the NFLPA to resolve appeals of cases involving on-field discipline.
It was not immediately clear which of the appeals officers handled the case.
Thus, the fines were overturned via Juszczyk prevailing through the standard appeals process. Juszczyk does not have to pay the fines, but that did not result from them being unilaterally rescinded by the NFL.
The league fined Juszczyk for celebrations during the 49ers’ win in Week 2 over the Dolphins in which the fullback motioned as if he was drinking a beverage. The NFL imposed two fines of $14,926 each.
Juszczyk, nicknamed “Juice,” has used the celebration previously during his career. He texted to ESPN at the time of the fines, “I don’t even drink beer.”
The NFL doled out 22 fines totaling $300,089 to 13 different players for unsportsmanlike conduct violations in the Week 2 games. Of those 22 fines, 13 were for illegal celebrations and vulgar acts, five for obscene gestures, and four for taunting.
An NFLPA spokesperson told FOS in a statement at the time about the fake-chugging celebrations: “[Neither] the players nor the union were given notice that these acts would constitute a fine. In some instances players have been doing these same celebrations for years and they have never been an issue. We are working with the league on how to resolve the fines from last week and how to ensure players have proper notice going forward.”
Players seemed to modify their celebrations quickly in response to the fines. Only five players were fined by the NFL for violations related to unsportsmanlike conduct in the Week 3 games.
FOS reported in August that the NFL would continue to stress strict enforcement of its sportsmanship-related rules this season. That means keeping a close eye on players violating the league’s rules prohibiting taunting opponents and illegal celebrations, at the behest of the NFL competition committee.
In their joint statement Wednesday on sportsmanship, the NFL and NFLPA said “players were reminded this week” that they can be penalized or fined (or both) for violent gestures, including those involving weapon use or gang-related signs; gestures depicting smoking or drug use; and gestures that are sexually suggestive.
“The league-wide guidance provides players with greater clarity on how they can celebrate while remaining within the rules,” the joint statement said, adding that the league first will contact a player to “provide direction before imposing discipline” for conduct that “falls into a gray area.”
The league and union said: “Individual and team celebrations are part of the game and help players connect with fans. Providing clear, consistent guidance allows players to express themselves while upholding the principles of sportsmanship that have long been a hallmark of NFL football.”
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