Updated

Updated · Fox News · Oct 11

NFL Fines 3 Browns Players Over $35,000 for Marijuana-Themed Touchdown Celebration

Updated

Updated · Fox News · Oct 11

NFL Fines 3 Browns Players Over $35,000 for Marijuana-Themed Touchdown Celebration

Q: What pushes an NFL touchdown celebration out of the warning zone and into an immediate, hefty fine?

An NFL celebration crosses from warning territory into an immediate fine when it clearly falls inside one of the league’s expressly banned categories, not a “gray area.” Under the NFL-NFLPA guidance issued this week, gestures depicting smoking or drug use, violence or weapons, gang signs, or sexual content can trigger a 15-yard unsportsmanlike penalty, a fine, or both. That is why the Browns’ touchdown routine drew punishment. Video and league accounts said Quinshon Judkins mimed smoking and then passed an imaginary blunt to Austin Barber and Deshaun Watson, who appeared to take a puff. Because the act was interpreted as depicting smoking or drug use, the league treated it as a direct violation rather than a borderline case that would merit a warning first. The key distinction is clarity. The NFL has now said that when a celebration falls into a true gray area, the league is supposed to contact the player and give guidance before imposing discipline. But unmistakable drug-related gestures do not get that benefit. They are already on the prohibited list. The recent reversal on drink-themed celebrations shows where the line now sits. Pretending to chug a beverage is no longer punishable after the league rescinded fines against Kyle Juszczyk and Jake Ferguson. Pretending to smoke remains banned. In practical terms, a celebration becomes an immediate, hefty fine when its meaning is obvious and matches a prohibited category the league has specifically identified.

1 articles · Updated · Fox News · Oct 11

$14,397 fines hit Quinshon Judkins and Deshaun Watson, while Austin Barber was docked $6,944 after the Browns' second-quarter end-zone skit against Pittsburgh.
The punishment stemmed from a celebration in which the players mimed smoking marijuana after Judkins scored against the Steelers.
The decision draws a sharper line in the NFL's celebration policy after the league recently rescinded fines against Kyle Juszczyk and Jake Ferguson for pretend drinking gestures.
That contrast suggests drinking-themed celebrations are now permitted after talks with the NFLPA, while smoking-themed ones still trigger discipline.