Jameson Williams won’t have to pay the NFL after winning his appeal of two touchdown celebration fines.
The NFL fined Williams $14,926 and $11,941 for his celebrations in Sunday’s 45-21 win over the Arizona Cardinals. The Detroit Lions wide receiver appeared to pretend to smoke something after each of his scores.
According to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, the NFL rescinded both fines on Tuesday. Along with claiming the “brief gesture” wasn’t offensive, Williams argued in his appeal that “marijuana is legal in some states if that was the gesture he was making.” Recreational marijuana use is legal in both Michigan and Arizona, the location of the Week 5 clash.
Appeals officer Derrick Brooks warned Williams despite dropping the penalties.
“Although I rescinded this fine, please make every effort to celebrate with your teammates in the best professional manner possible,” Brooks wrote.
NFL rescinds another questionable celebration fine
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
This isn’t the first head-scratching celebration fine the NFL has dropped.
Last month, the league claimed Kyle Juszczyk pretended to chug beer on the field. The NFL rescinded the $15,000 fine after swift backlash, as the San Francisco 49ers fullback nicknamed “Juice” has performed that gesture throughout his career.
“Even if it was beer, I don’t think that should be a problem with all the beer endorsements that we have in the NFL,” Juszczyk said. “We have everything. So even if it was beer, which it wasn’t, I still felt like it wasn’t an infraction.”
Williams also isn’t the only wide receiver to win his appeal on Tuesday. Per Rapoport, the NFL also dropped $14,926 fines against Cincinnati Bengals star Ja’Marr Chase.
After scoring a touchdown in a Week 2 win over the Houston Texans, Chase grabbed his elbow and extended his arm. The five-time Pro Bowler called the gesture an homage to The Rock’s “people’s elbow” wrestling move.
“On appeal, Mr. Chase … further contended that even if he committed the violation, his fine should be reduced because he received no warning that this was not allowed,” the appeals office letter stated. “He added that this is a new celebration with his teammate and that it is not offensive. Mr. Chase finally stated that the NFL is assuming the worst of him and his teammate without discussing with the NFLPA.”
