NFL fans are once again up in arms over the league’s fine system after players were penalized for their touchdown celebrations. The latest player to feel the brunt of it is Indianapolis Colts right guard Matt Goncalves, who was fined for his celebration against the Kansas City Chiefs. While he was handed a hefty fine, Goncalves’ teammate, tight end Mo Alie-Cox, had some words to share in his defense.
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“It was a soda 🤨🤣,” he wrote, resharing ESPN’s Adam Schefter’s report.
The play happened in the first quarter of Indianapolis’ Sunday night loss at Arrowhead, when tight end Tyler Warren scored on the Colts’ opening drive. Warren jogged over, handed the ball to Goncalves, and the third-year lineman mimed popping the top off a can, tipped it back, then spiked the ball to close out the bit. Nobody threw a flag. But days later, the league office reached out, notifying Goncalves in writing that his “imitation of chugging a beer constituted an offensive demonstration…in poor taste,” per Schefter, resulting in an $8,847 fine.
According to the NFL, the celebration violated Rule 12, Section 3, Article 1, the league’s unsportsmanlike-conduct provision.
“Players are expected to conduct themselves in a manner that reflects positively on the game and is consistent with NFL standards of sportsmanship,” part of the fine notice reads.
Well, for the Indianapolis fans, such celebrations are not new. Back in November 2019, All-Pro offensive guard Quenton Nelson lined up at fullback on third-and-goal from the 1-yard line against the Jacksonville Jaguars and appeared to power into the end zone. The team celebrated what appeared to be Nelson’s first career touchdown, but the score was overturned on review. Had the celebration happened under today’s enforcement, it could have resulted in a fine.
The Colts brought a little tailgate energy to the end zone. Mark Glowinski crouched down while Ryan Kelly, Joe Haeg and Braden Smith formed the setup around him. Nelson then climbed onto Glowinski’s back, his teammates holding his legs in the air as they recreated a keg stand. Eric Ebron completed the scene by pretending to chug a beer, with several other Colts players joining the festivities.
Asked about the formation, Nelson said: “A keg stand.”
Unlike Goncalves, however, the Colts players were not publicly reported to have received fines for the celebration.
“I don’t recall a fine after Quenton Nelson and the offensive line did a keg stand celly a few years back. I guess that was inoffensive?” wrote sportswriter Bob Kravitz after Goncalves landed in trouble.
Turns out that the NFL has tightened the ropes more recently, because Goncalves is not the only one to have found himself in trouble.
The same week, 49ers fullback Kyle Juszczyk was fined $14,926 for a nearly identical routine after a touchdown catch against Miami, which was ironic, given Juszczyk’s nickname is “Juice” and he’s performed some version of that celebration for years without the league blinking. Both fine letters used the same boilerplate language, warning that “further offenses will result in an escalation of disciplinary action, up to and including suspension.”
Unlike Goncalves, who is yet to break his silence, Juszczyk already had something to clarify.
“I don’t even drink beer,” Juszczyk said after practice on Thursday. “I don’t know how else to say it: I wasn’t drinking beer in my celebration. I think you guys all know, my nickname is ‘Juice;’ I have ‘Juice’ on my pads; the stadium yells ‘Juice’ when I catch the ball. When I celebrate, I celebrate by drinking juice. It’s been that way for years. So I was as surprised as anybody when I got a fine.”
That said, Juszczyk has already appealed his $14,926 fine from the NFL and his hearing is set for Tuesday via Zoom. Goncalves is also reportedly planning to appeal the fine.