Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Justin Jefferson has been fined by the NFL for his touchdown celebration in Week 16.
NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero reported on December 30 that Jefferson was fined $13,659 for unsportsmanlike conduct after “making a brief, gun-like signal at the camera” — a “violent gesture” under league rules — during the team’s Week 16 loss to the Detroit Lions.
Jefferson’s celebration can be seen in the video below.
Harrison Phillips and Najee Thompson were also fined for unnecessary roughness. Phillips was fined $10, 927, while Thompson received a $4,167 fine, per NFL Football Operations.
Justin Jefferson Fined Earlier by the NFL in 2023
After a Week 4 win over the Carolina Panthers on October 1, Jefferson celebrated one of his two touchdowns on the day with a “too small” gesture toward a Panthers defender.
He was fined $10,927 for taunting on October 7, ESPN’s Kevin Seifert reported.
Justin Jefferson was fined $10,927 for unsportsmanlike conduct in last Sunday’s win at Carolina. Timing of it aligns with this touchdown, and the amount aligns with a first offense for taunting. Have at it.
— Kevin Seifert (@SeifertESPN) October 7, 2023
Jefferson has been fined $24, 586 this season solely on his touchdown celebrations. Both fines were first offenses, but if he were to commit another violation of either rule, he would be fined more this season.
Vikings Have Paid the 8th-Lowest Fines in the NFL
Picking up three fines last week, the Vikings roster has faced $114,290 in fines this season as the eighth-least fined team in the league, according to Spotrac.
The Vikings hadn’t been fined since Week 9 before the trio of fines last week as the team has also been one of the least penalized teams, receiving the third-fewest penalties in the NFL.
Harrison Smith has faced the steepest fine, a $21,855 bill for impermissible use of the helmet in Week 3.
#Vikings S Harrison Smith was fined $21,855 for what the NFL said was unnecessary roughness on this hit last Sunday. Amount corresponds to first offense of impermissible use of helmet, aka the "helmet rule." Wasn't penalized in the game, but NFL aggressively issues fines for it. pic.twitter.com/WsNWODWBTu
— Kevin Seifert (@SeifertESPN) September 30, 2023
Ironically, Smith received the fine just days after he spoke out on a double standard the league has in finding defensive players more often than offensive players when it comes to certain rules like helmet-to-helmet contact and grabbing the facemask.
“Obviously, if the facemask is egregious, like the two [Browns quarterback] Deshaun Watson had against Pittsburgh (in Week 2), they call it,” Smith told the Star Tribune, referring to two plays where Watson was fined $35,513 for three different infractions he committed on Monday Night Football.
“But, basically, they can facemask us on every play as long as they don’t grab it. But if we graze theirs, that’s a penalty and a 10- , 15-grand fine.”
The NFL has lacked transparency in its process for code of conduct violations on the field, only reporting fines that reporters inquire about. Under the league’s new gameday accountability initiative, the NFL is now reporting all fines given each week — something that’s long been overdue, according to Smith.
“They should be totally transparent on the total amount of money they’ve taken from defensive players compared to offensive players over the last 10, 15 years,” he added.
According to league data through 16 weeks, defensive players have received 246 fines compared to 114 fines by offensive players, per Spotrac’s database.
