Every Saturday, the NFL imparts fines and penalties for controversial and unsportsmanlike actions to players of the leagueās teams. In recent weeks, these measures have been a source of controversy due to the reasons for the penalties and the names penalized. In this context, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell made a strong statement regarding the topic.
Many of the fines are in response to excessive celebrations, as well as aggression or unnecessary roughness between players from different teams. Some fines are even levied against franchises. In other cases, the fines are imposed for plays that are not so clear to the common eye of fans and analysts.
āItās a long-standing policy and weāre going to enforce it,ā Goodell said emphatically about the NFLās fines. āI think Troy (Vincent, the leagueās executive vice president) had a direct conversation with the union about that last week. Weāre going to pursue that approach. We donāt think itās appropriate under the circumstances, and we think it sends the wrong message. So weāre going to continue to do that,ā the National Football League commissioner sentenced.
Many of the fines are subject to appeal and are the focus of commentary from fans, who often disagree with the penalties. In the case of the 2024 season, a major cause of financial penalties is player celebrations, which are often interpreted as excessive or directed at rivals.
NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images)
Fines for points celebrations
One of the big controversies in the league has to do with touchdown or victory celebrations. For example, players like New Orleans Saints quarterback Derek Carr have been fined for celebrating by doing a dance after scoring a touchdown.
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NFL imposes heavy fine on Andy Reid's Chiefs player, Patrick Mahomes' teammate
In the first four weeks combined, there have been eight penalties and fines for celebrations, and two more in Week 5. Penalties have ranged from $6,000 to more than $14,000, as in Carrās case in Week 2.
