It was a high-stakes battle on Thanksgiving as the Cowboys and Chiefs faced off in Texas. Tight end Jake Ferguson got overexcited during the game and celebrated by jumping into the Salvation Army’s Red Kettle Drum after scoring a touchdown in the third quarter. But the referees ruled out the play, and in the end, the player could be left with a hefty fine for his action.

According to Spotrac, his non-TD celebration will cost him more than twenty thousand dollars in fines next week. No penalty was called during the game.

The referees ruled out the play because, though the player caught the call in the end zone, his right foot or any part of his right leg never touched the ground before he went out of bounds. That dampened the mood despite his celebration.

However, the league has been inconsistent in its handling of such Thanksgiving celebrations. But even if they fine Ferguson, he might not be too worried, as they have already done so before. He knew it was coming.

Back in 2022, all four tight ends of the Cowboys celebrated around the oversized red drum placed beyond the end zone. They brought attention to the league’s Salvation Army donation drive, but the NFL still fined Dalton Schultz ($13,261), Jake Ferguson ($4,895), Peyton Hendershot ($3,944), and Sean McKeon ($4,994).

Even back then, they knew they would get fined. So, they planned around it and didn’t do the celebration too early in the game.

However, the 2025 game was special. Ferguson brought back memories of former running back Ezekiel Elliott. It was the Zeke Thanksgiving Celly celebration. In Elliot’s rookie year, he also jumped into the red drum after scoring a touchdown. The league had a relaxed stance and only penalized him 15 yards for using a “prop” in a touchdown celebration.

That’s not where it ends.

In 2018, Elliott, who wore No. 21, tossed $21 into a big red kettle near the Cowboys’ end zone. He said he would match $21 donations to the Salvation Army up to $21,000. The whole team took part in it.

Regardless, the NFL fined him $13,369 for his celebration. It sort of became a tradition with America’s Team ever since. The kettledrum is almost historical now.

It’s one of the ways owner Jerry Jones and his daughter Charlotte give back to the community. But this isn’t limited to the Cowboys. Different teams, like the Detroit Lions, often visit shelter homes and donate food and clothes.

There are plenty of other celebrations around Thanksgiving. While the tight end kept the fun alive, his quarterback won a big honor for his explosive performance and the hunger for success.

The Cowboys have a reason to celebrate despite Jake Ferguson’s potential fine

Yes, the celebration might cost Ferguson big time. But that does not upset the Dallas Cowboys. The team was completely focused on celebrating ‘Turkey Day’ with a win. And that is exactly what they did. While the Chiefs had the lead at the end of the first quarter (14-7), the Cowboys bounced back in the next quarter.

From that point on, it was just a matter of maintaining the lead. They did and won the game, 31-28. Following the game, CBS reporter Tracy Wolfson announced QB Dak Prescott as the winner of the 2025 John Madden Thanksgiving MVP Award.

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Prescott showed full support for his teammates by calling them a brotherhood. Plus, his receiver CeeDee Lamb also broke the NFL record for 7000 receiving yards in his first six seasons. He became the first Cowboy to do so.

Then, there was Jake Ferguson. As his teammates picked up turkey legs, he picked up the whole turkey, taking a bite off before handing it over to his teammates. This Thanksgiving became special for America’s Team.