Jaden Hicks, the Kansas City Chiefs safety, and Daniel Jones, the Indianapolis Colts quarterback, were at the center of a first-quarter collision during their Week 2 showdown. The play drew a roughing-the-passer flag on Hicks as the two AFC teams battled through a tightly contested game that eventually went to overtime.
The fine, reported by Indianapolis Colts reporter James Boyd, is $6,707 for what the league classified as a “blow to the head/neck” involving Jones. The amount immediately drew attention because Colts right guard Matt Goncalves was fined $8,847 for a completely different incident in the same game.
“The fact that Colts RG Matt Goncalves was fined $8,847 for pretending to chug a beer — which is $2,140 MORE than Hicks — is CRAZY,” Boyd wrote on X.
The Hicks play happened with 9:34 remaining in the first quarter. Jones completed an 11-yard pass to Josh Downs on third-and-4, moving Indianapolis to the Kansas City 3-yard line. Hicks was then penalized for roughing the passer, giving the Colts a fresh set of downs. Two plays later, Jones found tight end Tyler Warren for a 1-yard touchdown that put Indianapolis ahead 7-0.
The penalty gave Indianapolis another first down with the Colts already close to the Kansas City goal line. Hicks made contact as Jones released the pass, and the call brought a two-yard enforcement along with the automatic first down. Kansas City eventually came back from the early deficit to win 33-30 in overtime, but the hit stood out from the opening quarter.
Hicks drew the roughing-the-passer flag during the game. The NFL fined him after reviewing the play. The league’s 2026 fine schedule puts the first-offense amount for a hit on a quarterback at $17,911, so Hicks’ fine came in well below that figure.
Head coach Andy Reid had been talking about penalties before this fine was handed down. After Kansas City’s preseason opener against the Los Angeles Rams in August, he made it clear that his team needed to clean up those mistakes.
“The No. 1 thing we need to clean up,” Reid said, referring to the penalized mistakes.
Hicks finished the game with a career-high ten tackles, including five solo, according to CBS Sports. The third-year safety also remained involved later in the contest, including a tackle on Jones during overtime. That final period eventually ended with Harrison Butker hitting the game-winning field goal as Kansas City escaped with the victory.
Hicks wasn’t the only defender fined for a QB hit that same week. Carolina’s Derrick Brown and Green Bay’s Lukas Van Ness were each fined $17,911 for similar violations, while Houston’s Mario Edwards drew an $8,263 penalty and the Los Angeles Rams’ Tyler Davis was fined $6,225, placing Hicks’ fine near the bottom of that particular group rather than as an outlier on its own.
Why Goncalves’ Celebration Became Part of the Conversation
Goncalves’ fine came after Warren’s first-quarter touchdown, which was set up by Jones’ completion on the opening drive. Warren handed the football to the offensive lineman, who briefly acted as if he were opening a can and drinking from it.
“Your imitation of chugging a beer constituted an offensive demonstration and could reasonably be construed as being in poor taste,” the NFL wrote.
“It’s disappointing. What are you gonna do? We’re all celebrating out there, having a good time. I’d like to think it’s an ice-cold Coca-Cola,” Goncalves said.
His teammates also joined the conversation. Tight end Mo Alie-Cox joked on X, “It was a soda,” while running back Jonathan Taylor added, “It was a fresh league-sponsored Pepsi.”
Their reactions turned Goncalves’ fine into a talking point beyond Indianapolis, especially because the NFL has commercial ties with the beer industry while simultaneously penalizing players for celebrations that imitate drinking.
The incident also connects to a separate fine issued to San Francisco 49ers fullback Kyle Juszczyk for a similar celebration against the Miami Dolphins. Juszczyk was fined $14,926 after pretending to chug a beverage following his touchdown, and he said afterward, “And I don’t even drink beer.” He has said he plans to appeal that fine.
With the punishment now settled, Hicks will turn his attention back to the field as the Chiefs prepare for their next game against the Miami Dolphins. Kansas City will look to build on its 2-0 start, while Hicks will have another chance to make an impact in a secondary that has already leaned heavily on him early in the season.