By Marvin Moore October 20, 2023
The NFL levied more than $340k in player fines in Week 5. The “No Fun League” continues acting more like a criminal organization than a professional sports league. But is anyone surprised?
Buffalo Bills defensive end A.J. Epenesa took home the prize for the largest fine with a Roughing the Passing flag that cost him $21,855. Hitting quarterbacks is frowned upon by the league office, and a trio of players were popped with fines ranging from $11,473 to $16,391. Another Bills defensive lineman, Ed Oliver, incurred the high-end fine for daring to hit a quarterback. He also was tagged with a $13,659 Unsportsmanlike Conduct penalty in the same game. Ouch!
While Oliver’s $30k in fines in Week 5 seems excessive, it’s pocket change compared to the $87,418 fine that Atlanta Falcons fullback Keith Smith was smacked with in Week 3 for Unsportsmanlike Conduct. The massive fine came on the opening kickoff in which Smith appeared to lead with his helmet while blocking Detroit running back Zonovan Knight. Shockingly, Smith was not even flagged for the block.
Former NFL tough guy Vontaze Burfict had a reputation for engaging in acts of questionable legality. In a Week 6 game in 2018, Burfict tallied an NFL season-high $112,000 in fines. That same year, the league collected $4,246,073 in player fines for on and off-field infractions.
Getting a letter from the league office is how players learn their wallets will become a little lighter. To add insult to injury, “a video of the play in question, why they are being fined, and how much it will cost them” is also sent to the athlete.
The number of rules that players must follow is ridiculous. Sure, some rules pertaining to safety are a necessity. But the countless rules aimed at the NFL’s image are hilariously over-the-top.
DeAngelo Williams made the mistake of stepping on the field in 2015 with the message “find the cure” on his eye blacks to honor his mother, a breast cancer survivor. However, Williams broke a rule prohibiting wearing personal messages on their bodies during a game. He was slapped with a nearly $6,000 fine for paying tribute to his mother.
New York Jets running back Dalvin Cook was punished for throwing a football into the stands while playing for the Minnesota Vikings. NFL players can hand a football to one fan but can’t randomly throw or kick a football into the crowd. The league fears this could potentially lead to fights in the stands, which has become a weekly UFC event without any footballs being involved.
Cook was initially fined $7,426 for this possible mob-inciting infraction. But the NFL also has a big heart. The league offered to reduce the fine to $5,941 if Cook agreed to complete an online remedial training course. You couldn’t make this stuff up if you tried. A course to teach Cook how not to throw the ball into the stands is as ridiculous as it sounds.
This season is the first time in NFL history that the league has made public how many players get fined each week and the amount of their fines. The NFL is not known for its transparency but probably decided to release the information since reporters and players often leaked the details anyway.
By the way, if you’ve ever wondered where the fine money goes, it’s all donated to the Professional Athletes Foundation and the NFL Foundation. Yes, the multi-billion machine funds its foundations with involuntary donations from its players. But is anyone surprised?
