NFL sends clear message with Week 1 taunting fines
Apr 29, 2021; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; NFL commissioner Roger Goodell announces the final pick of the 2021 NFL Draft for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at First Energy Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
Anyone hoping to see the NFL relax a bit on its enforcement of taunting will be disappointed by the list of fines issued for Week 1.
Stefon Diggs, Ja’Marr Chase, and Jamal Adams were among the players hit with taunting fines for their actions in Week 1. According to Tom Pelissero of NFL Network, the league handed out upwards of $54,000 in fines to five players for taunting violations.
At least five players — including stars Stefon Diggs, Ja’Marr Chase and Jamal Adams — were fined over $54,000 combined for unsportsmanlike conduct in Week 1.
The NFL promised the crackdown would continue in 2022, and it is. https://t.co/Fe5vm2rIzS
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) September 17, 2022
Chase was actually fined twice, one for pretty obvious reasons. Diggs was hit with a fine for his response to Rams cornerback Jalen Ramsey after he beat Ramsey for a touchdown.
The league made it clear that the taunting emphasis was not going away after some controversies in 2021. This set of fines demonstrates that pretty clearly, for better or worse.
