Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase may have to be a bit more reserved next time he scores a touchdown.
Chase had an excellent Week 2 for the Bengals, hauling in seven passes for 75 yards and two touchdowns. After scoring this incredible touchdown to give the Bengals a 7-0 lead, the All-Pro wideout celebrated by copying The Rock’s iconic “People’s Elbow.”
Clearly, that gesture didn’t sit well with the NFL. It was announced Thursday that Chase was fined for “unsportsmanlike conduct.”
Troy Taormina-Imagn Images.
While it’s unclear how much money Chase will have to cough up, he let reporters know that he’s not thrilled with the NFL’s decision.
“This is where the superstars have to get in with NFLPA and fight for our money,” Chase said. “I’m getting fined for an elbow and doing a first-down thing. We can’t even tweet about it because we get fined for tweeting about it.”
The NFL may want to consider softening its stance.
It was also announced Thursday that San Francisco 49ers fullback Kyle Juszczyk was fined $14,926 for his celebration in Week 2. The league penalized him for pretending to chug a drink, which violates Rule 12, Section 3, Article 1.
Juszczyk, who has already appealed the NFL’s fine, told ESPN’s Adam Schefter that his celebration is an ode to his nickname “Juice.”
“I don’t even drink beer,” Juszczyk told Schefter.
Hopefully, the NFL will start judging each celebration on a case-by-case basis instead of just handing out fines.
