It wasn’t the celebration itself that’s now making headlines – it’s Jake Ferguson’s response to being fined for it. The Dallas Cowboys tight end was assigned a five-digit dollar fine by the NFL over a beer-miming gesture, and he’s making clear he doesn’t plan to let the ruling stand unchallenged.
“Another round: Cowboys TE Jake Ferguson was fined $13,611 for what the NFL said was his ‘imitation of shotgunning a beer’ Sunday vs. Washington that ‘constituted an offensive demonstration and could reasonably be construed as being in poor taste,'” ESPN’s Adam Schefter wrote on X.
Shortly after this update, Schefter posted another update, noting, “Cowboys TE Jake Ferguson is appealing his $13,611 shotgunning-a-beer fine.”
The incident took place during the first half of the Dallas Cowboys’ Week 2 game against the Washington Commanders. Jake Ferguson had a standout performance, catching four passes for 43 yards and two touchdowns in a 37-20 Dallas victory.
However, after one of his scores, Ferguson celebrated by miming the opening and rapid chugging or “shotgunning” of a beer.
The NFL officially issued the fine, stating that the alcohol-mimicking gesture “constituted an offensive demonstration and could reasonably be construed as being in poor taste”.
However, Jake Ferguson was not the only player targeted for this specific gesture. The league issued a wave of fines to multiple players for a similar gesture, including San Francisco 49ers fullback Kyle Juszczyk in the same week.
According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, “NFL fined 49ers fullback Kyle Juszczyk $14,926 for engaging in an offensive demonstration Sunday vs. Miami. “Your imitation of chugging a beer constituted an offensive demonstration and could reasonably be construed as being in poor taste,” the NFL wrote in its fine letter. Juszczyk, nicknamed “Juice”, already has appealed the fine.”
The fine sparked significant criticism from fans and media members, who pointed out the hypocrisy of the NFL labeling a fake beer-chugging gesture as “offensive,” while major beer brands dominate the commercial breaks immediately following the touchdowns.
“So the NFL thinks Jake Ferguson and Kyle Juszczyk pretending to drink beer is ‘offensive’ and in ‘poor taste’… but 45 seconds after this touchdown celebration, they’ll cut to a commercial for Miller Lite,” WFAA’s Mike Leslie wrote on X on Friday.
Meanwhile, the league also issued an $8,847 fine to Indianapolis Colts right guard Matt Gonclaves for a beer-chugging celebration he did after Tyler Warren’s first-quarter touchdown in Week 2. Similar to both Ferguson and Juszczyk, Gonclaves also plans to appeal the fine.
A third-round pick out of the 2024 NFL Draft, Matt Gonclaves is in his third year with the Colts and has played 35 games, starting 26. According to The Athletic, multiple sources have cited the guard’s fine as “ridiculous” and “stupid,” while many Colts players also reacted the same way.
Colts TE Mo Alie-Cox joked that Gonçalves was having “a soda,” and running back Jonathan Taylor also shared a similar sentiment.
“Wait what?? 😂😂 It was a fresh league-sponsored Pepsi ‼️”
That said, the NFL’s strict stance extends beyond alcohol references. For example, Cincinnati Bengals wide receivers Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins were also fined for their wrestling-style celebration.
The league issued a total of 6 fines this week for the celebrations,
- Ja’Marr Chase — The People’s Elbow
- Tee Higgins — The People’s Elbow
- Amon-Ra St. Brown — imitation of smoking
- Jake Ferguson — imitation of chugging a beer
- Kyle Juszczyk — imitation of chugging a beer
- Matt Goncalves — imitation of chugging a beer
While a $13,611 fine hurts, the Cowboys TE is completely healthy and facing no suspension. Following his bounce-back, two-touchdown game against the Commanders, Ferguson and the Cowboys are transitioning to international travel, preparing to face the Baltimore Ravens in Rio de Janeiro on Sunday, September 27.
Amid that, Jake Ferguson does not plan to let the league take his money without a fight. As per ESPN’s Todd Archer, the Cowboys tight end will appeal the fine decision.