Some NFL Players Tone Down Celebrations After Surprise Fines

Some of the players who were fined the largest amounts by the NFL for unsportsmanlike conduct during the Week 2 games seemed to modify their celebration tactics Sunday.

Wide receivers Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins of the Bengals and Amon-Ra St. Brown of the Lions all celebrated touchdown catches during Sunday’s Week 3 games with displays different from what they’d done when they were assessed a combined 10 fines.

Chase had a touchdown catch against the Steelers and celebrated by putting his left arm across his chest, tucking that hand into his body, and moving his right arm and hand in a wavy motion.

“Touchdown, Cincinnati. And a new celebration for Chase,” play-by-play announcer Ian Eagle said on the CBS broadcast.

Higgins made an acrobatic touchdown catch late in the first half and had a very subdued celebration.

Chase and Higgins had said they patterned their Week 2 celebrations after The Rock’s “people’s elbow.” The NFL disagreed and cited the pair for obscene gestures and, in the case of one of Higgins’s fines, an illegal celebration and vulgar act.

Chase insisted the celebration was innocuous. “I think this is where the superstars have to get in with the NFLPA and fight for our money,” he said Thursday.

St. Brown had a touchdown catch against the Jets and celebrated with teammates in the end zone. He did not appear to repeat the Week 2 celebration in which he pretended to smoke.

Higgins and St. Brown each received four fines from the NFL for their Week 2 celebrations. They were fined $59,704 apiece.

Chase was given two fines totaling $29,852.

Giants pass rusher Abdul Carter was penalized for unsportsmanlike conduct following teammate Jevon Holland’s game-saving interception in Sunday’s win over the Titans at MetLife Stadium. But it was not immediately clear what Carter did to prompt the penalty.

The NFL announced 22 fines Saturday totaling $300,089 that were doled out to 13 different players for unsportsmanlike conduct violations during the Week 2 games. Of the 22 fines, 13 were for illegal celebrations and vulgar acts, five for obscene gestures, and four for taunting.

The players can appeal the fines.

The NFL Players Association told Front Office Sports on Saturday via a statement by a spokesman that it was working with the league to resolve the fines assessed to players for celebrations supposedly involving pretending to chug beer. 

The NFLPA said the players and the union had not been informed previously that such celebrations would be subject to fines.

FOS reported last month that the NFL, at the behest of the competition committee, planned to continue to strictly enforce its sportsmanship-related rules this season, including illegal celebrations and taunting.