Cincinnati Bengals superstar wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase is pushing back against the NFL’s disciplinary policies after being fined for his touchdown celebration against the Houston Texans.
Chase and teammate Tee Higgins debuted the celebration over the first two weeks of the season. They drop an elbow toward the forearm after big plays. During Wednesday’s episode of his “Chasing No. 1” podcast, Chase clarified that the movement paid homage to WWE legend Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson’s iconic “People’s Elbow.”
However, the NFL flagged it as an unsanctioned gesture. Chase addressed the matter while speaking to reporters on Thursday.
“I don’t know. I’m trying to figure out because that’s not what it is. This is literally like a wrestling move,” Chase said. “Maybe I should stop. … It was something different for us, something we try to be unique with. Just stopping the fun. I think this is where the superstars have to get in with the NFLPA and fight for our money. I can’t really do much about it.”
Chase criticized the limited ways players can challenge subjective fines and urged top players to take a bigger role in the union.
“We could complain. I don’t even think we can tweet about it because we get fined for tweeting about it. So, it’s really like players have to keep their mouths shut and deal with it. But we got to have a superstar in the NFLPA to do something about it. Help us along the way.”
Chase also brought up the $14,926 fine issued to San Francisco 49ers fullback Kyle Juszczyk for a celebratory drinking gesture. The Bengals WR recorded two touchdowns and 75 receiving yards in Cincinnati’s 20-6 victory over Houston.
Ja’Marr Chase Is Not the Only Player Fined Through Two Weeks
The NFL has taken a strict approach to celebrations and on-field conduct this season, and Ja’Marr Chase wasn’t the only victim of the NFL’s disciplinary actions.
49ers fullback Kyle Juszczyk was fined $14,926 for an offensive demonstration after pretending to drink from a can during a touchdown celebration against the Miami Dolphins. Juszczyk has used the celebration throughout his tenure in San Francisco as a nod to his nickname, “Juice.”
In Week 1, Commanders wide receiver Stefon Diggs received the same $14,926 fine for hugging the goalpost after scoring against the Philadelphia Eagles. Cowboys running back Javonte Williams was also fined $11,941 for taunting during a touchdown against the New York Giants.
Detroit Lions wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown also received more than $56,000 in fines across four separate violations from Detroit’s game against the Buffalo Bills.
