The National Football League has been cracking down on celebrations that may look like guns – but Patrick Mahomes apparently missed the memo.
The Kansas City Chiefs quarterback was one of the latest to use his arms in the fashion to celebrate a touchdown, and it affected his wallet.
The NFL Network reports that Mahomes was fined over $14,000 for what the league is calling a “violent gesture.”
Many players have been hit with penalties and fines because they would use the celebration, albeit innocently, on first downs.
Last month, the league had grown “concerned” about the amount of “gun-related” celebrations, causing them to come up with stricter penalties for it.
According to Spotrac, the NFL has handed out 17 fines for “obscene gestures” this season – there were no such fines in 2023.
“[The rule] has been in the books for years, and it hasn’t really surfaced… haven’t really noticed it that much until this year,” one league executive said to CBS Sports last month. “Now it’s almost an epidemic of them.”
“We don’t think it’s appropriate.… It sends the wrong message,” NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell added at the time.
Mahomes was fined $50,000 last year for “verbally abusing” an official.
The fine is an insult to injury for Mahomes, as his Chiefs suffered their first loss of the season after winning their first nine games.
Their schedule gets easier on Sunday, as they visit Carolina to face the Panthers.
