After the Philadelphia Eagles bested the Kansas City Chiefs last week in a highly-watched Super Bowl rematch, the NFL has handed down fines to two of the teams’ stars. Eagles running back Saquon Barkley has been fined by the league for lowering his helmet on a play during the 20-17 win over the Chiefs, while Kansas City tight end Travis Kelce has been fined for unsportsmanlike conduct after making an obscene gesture during a celebration.
Barkley lowered his helmet on a long run during the win, pushing head-first into Chiefs defensive back Chamarri Conner, which is deemed unnecessary roughness by the league. Though the play went uncalled at the time, Barkley has now been fined $46,371 for the contact.
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Under NFL rules, that amount is equivalent to the fine for a second offense. Barkley was also fined for a similar play last season.
Kelce, meanwhile, was fined $14,491 for making an obscene gesture — a “huevos” homage to the movie “Major League” — after a big catch. The tight end made a 23-yard catch, stiff-arming Eagles cornerback Cooper DeJean and celebrating by indicating his…we’ll go with guts.
That catch was Kelce’s longest in the game, with the tight end finishing with four receptions for 61 yards. Kelce had a costly drop in the fourth quarter that turned into an interception for the Eagles, shutting down the Chiefs’ chance at a late comeback.
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Kelce’s fine matches that for a first offense on an unsportsmanlike conduct call, per the NFL rulebook; a second offense would cost him $20,288.
Neither player was punished during the tightly-contested game, which had other refereeing controversies. In the fourth-quarter, a “tush push” play from the Eagles appeared to have multiple Philadelphia players going early, but the officials did not call a false start at the time. The NFL later acknowledged that the Eagles should have been flagged on the play, which gave Philadelphia what would eventually be the game-winning touchdown.
In general, the NFL has been cracking down on unsportsmanlike conduct this season. After Week 1, the league fined Eagles defensive tackle Jalen Carter $57,222 — the equivalent of what he makes in a week — after he spat on Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott before the first play of the season. The NFL also fined New York Jets edge rusher Will McDonald $14,491 for a grenade celebration, in a seemingly hefty punishment.
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Per NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero, the NFL has handed down $222,421 in unsportsmanlike conduct fines in just the first two weeks of the season.