The Dallas Cowboys may have walked away with a 31–28 Thanksgiving win over the Kansas City Chiefs, but one Dallas safety didn’t escape the league’s attention. Even in victory, a disciplinary decision loomed over the team.

The NFL has fined Markquese Bell $11,593 for unnecessary roughness. The penalty came on the game’s very first play, as Bell pulled Chiefs returner Kevin Knowles to the ground by his facemask. Though the tackle was dangerous, no flag was thrown during the broadcast. However, the league wasted little time reviewing it and acting accordingly. Dallas celebrated the win, but Bell’s wallet took the loss.

This is by no means Bell’s only infraction of the year. His penalty ledger has slowly but surely grown across the 2025 season: unnecessary roughness against the Philadelphia Eagles, offensive holding, and illegal formation in a penalty-heavy showing vs. the New York Giants.

An illegal block above the waist against the Green Bay Packers, defensive holding and DPI in Denver, and another defensive holding call against Arizona. All said and done, Bell has accumulated 37 penalty yards, averaging 2.43 per game, a trend to which Dallas continues to pay close attention.

Performance-wise, Bell remains a mixed bag, productive at times, quiet at others. Over his last five games, he posted eight tackles against Arizona, but followed that with just one against the Raiders and one more against the Eagles. He added two tackles in the win over the Chiefs and four in the Week 14 loss to Detroit. Bell’s physicality is evident on film, but the results and the penalties that accompany them continue to spark debate within the organization.

Questions about Bell’s on-field discipline only heightened after an offseason incident. On the second day of Cowboys training camp, things escalated during team drills as Bell reportedly threw a punch that sent cornerback Troy Pride to one knee following a hit to the neck.

A scuffle initially involving undrafted tight end Tyler Neville quickly roped in Pride. Minutes later, a near-altercation involving rookie Tyler Guyton threatened to break out. Schottenheimer corralled his team and issued a warning: throw another punch, and you’re out. The situation was eventually de-escalated, but Bell’s involvement in the mayhem marked another chapter in a growing behavioral file.

Bell wasn’t the only player under league review. Chiefs running back Isiah Pacheco was fined $46,371 for lowering his head to initiate contact against Cowboys cornerback DaRon Bland.

Penalty problems continue to haunt the Dallas Cowboys

The Cowboys might have one of the best records in the league, but their ongoing penalty problems frustrate both fans and coaches alike. Dallas presently leads the NFL in two categories, penalties (101 penalties through 13 games) and total offense (394.9 yards per game). In a streak of three weeks over the Raiders, Eagles, and Chiefs, their high-voltage offense has powered them, though the team continues to flood the field with yellow flags.

What differs this season, though, is that the Cowboys, unlike in years past, are winning despite their mistakes. Six penalties against the Raiders, eight against the Eagles, and seven more against the Chiefs would have sunk previous Dallas teams. Instead, this roster is showing enough poise to overcome them.

The unit surrendered just 16 points to the Raiders, 21 to the Eagles, and made the Chiefs earn every inch of their 28 points.

Top Stories

Ravens’ Lamar Jackson Demands Short-Term Contract Away From NFL on Thursday

Bills Announce Historic Josh Allen News Before Bengals Game

Chiefs Veteran Gives Up on Playoff Hopes With Patrick Mahomes & Travis Kelce Facing the Impossible

Donald Trump Takes Unexpected Shot at NFL With Name Change Call During FIFA World Cup Draw

Lamar Jackson Has Reportedly Been Seeking John Harbaugh’s Firing for Years as Locker Room Secret Leaked

The run defense has stiffened, particularly. Dallas allowed only 27 yards on the ground to the Raiders, 63 to Philadelphia, and forced Kansas City to grind for its production.

They’re still messy. Still penalty-prone. Still capable of chaos. But the Cowboys are also explosive, balanced, resilient, and trending upward defensively.