Sunday night's matchup between the Kansas City Chiefs and Detroit Lions ended in fireworks, but not because of anything that happened on the field.
The Chiefs were celebrating a dominant 30-17 win that got them back to .500 when quarterback Patrick Mahomes reached out his hand as Lions safety Brian Branch walked by.
Branch ignored Mahomes' gesture, and when he was greeted by the same gesture from Chiefs receiver Juju Smith-Schuster, the 23-year-old defensive back lost his cool and clocked the USC alum right in the face.
The impact sent Smith-Schuster to the turf, and once he got back to his feet, he chased after Branch and a brawl ensued involving both sidelines.
And while the brawl is what fans will likely talk about most from Sunday's game, there was a play involving Mahomes in the first half that could actually land the QB in trouble with the NFL.
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In the final minute of the second quarter, Mahomes capped off an eight-play, 55-yard Chiefs drive with a 1-yard touchdown run. Well after he broke the plane, many believed Mahomes actually taunted Branch when he dropped the ball and pointed in his direction before wiping off his jersey and flexing his bicep.
While some might not think anything of Mahomes' celebration, it could actually draw him a fine from the NFL, which reiterated to teams back in August that it would be cracking down on unsportsmanlike behavior this season, particularly with taunting plays.
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Per Rule 12, Section 3, Article 1 of the NFL rule book, taunting is any type of unsportsmanlike conduct that "uses baiting or taunting acts or words that may engender ill will between teams." Taunting can be called for gestures or words said to an opponent.
When the NFL releases its list of fines for Week 6 on Saturday, Mahomes' name is likely to be on it. Taunting fines carry an $11,593 penalty for first offenses and $17,389 for second offenses.
Though Mahomes is one of the NFL's biggest stars, he's isn't exempt from being disciplined.
Back in 2023 he was slapped with a massive $50,000 fie for verbally abusing officials, and last season he was hit with a $14,000 fine for a violent gesture during a game against the Buffalo Bills.
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