Over the years, the NFL has developed a reputation as the “No Fun League,” regularly dishing out penalties and fines to players for celebrations during the game. This week, the league struck again, giving a pretty hefty fine to Seattle Seahawks wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba.
During Monday night’s win over the Seattle Seahawks, Smith-Njigba scored a touchdown and immediately ran to the uprights and dunked the ball through them to celebrate his score. Unfortunately for him, that’s against the league’s rules.
Ever since New Orleans Saints tight end Jimmy Graham damaged the uprights with a celebratory dunk over the uprights back in 2013, the league has made it illegal for anyone to contact the uprights during their celebration. As a result, Smith-Njigba was punished for his antics.
Smith-Njigba was flagged for unsportsmanlike conduct during the game, but on Saturday, the team announced that he had also been fined $14,491 for his excessive celebration.
The good news is that the penalty did not cost his team during the game as they went on to win the contest comfortably, but it will clearly impact his bank account a little bit.