NFL players are subject to a variety of fines each year. According to the NFL and the NFL Players Association, there is a well-defined schedule of infractions and fines that may be imposed.[1] The reason for these fines? “To outline the leagues and union’s expectations for players to conduct themselves in a way that honors the sport and respects the game, themselves, their fellow players, the fans and the league.”[2] The fines collected from the players do not go to the NFL itself, but to various foundations the League supports, including the Professional Athletes Foundation and the NFL Foundation.[3]
Many fines players receive come from in game conduct, whether physical or verbal against other players or the officiating crew. In the past two seasons, we have seen an uptick in fines against players and coaches for their comments about the officiating crews.[4] To gain some background, the NFL has always fined players or coaches for their criticisms about the officiating. In 2018, Mike Tomlin was fined $25,000 when he voiced his frustration against the officiating crew, where he categorized the questionable calls as a “joke” and asked the NFL to “get better.”[5]Tomlin specifically was upset regarding the roughing the passer calls imposed on his star pass rusher, TJ Watt.[6]
Moving forward to the 2023 season, Kansas City Chiefs head coach Andy Reid and quarterback Patrick Mahomes were fined for their critical comments against the officiating crew when they lost to the Buffalo Bills in dramatic fashion.[7]Reid was fined $100,000 for his comments, while Mahomes was fined $50,000. In both instances, Reid and Mahomes were critical of a penalty on a wide receiver that called back a touchdown to “win” the game. Here, the officials absolutely made the right call, with Commissioner Goodell chiming in, stating that he “finds it ironic when you say attention on officiating when I think almost everybody, to my knowledge, is acknowledging that the officials were absolutely correct.”[8]
In this past NFL season, similar issues have come to haunt the NFL. After a devastating loss to the Kansas City Chiefs, Houston Texans running back Joe Mixon and pass rusher Will Anderson, Jr. were both fined $25,000 for their criticism of the officials.[9] Why is this any different than Mahomes’s or Reid’s criticisms? The fines associated with Mixon and Anderson, Jr. tie directly into the ongoing “the NFL is rigged” debate.[10]
Originally, Mixon and Anderson Jr. were fined for their comments tailored towards this debate. Mixon stated postgame that “Everybody knowns how it is playing up here… You can never leave it into the refs’ hands. The whole world sees, man, what it is bro. But it is what it is.”[11] However, he was fined for allegedly stating ““Why play the game if every 50/50 call goes with Chiefs. These officials are 🗑🗑🗑🗑 & bias.”[12] However, this statement was made by a former Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver and Fox Sports analyst. The League then reissued the fine based off of Mixon’s actual comments in the locker room, mentioned above. Similarly, Anderson, Jr. commented, “We knew it was going to be us against the refs going into this game.”[13] These comments were direct shots taken at the League for an alleged push to help the Kansas City Chiefs reach the Super Bowl. Both players appealed their fines and won. The reversal in fines for both players come after the Chiefs lost to the Philadelphia Eagles in the big game.
Why is this relevant? Well, it shows that “the NFL is Rigged” debate not only clouds fans judgement, but has made its way inside the NFL. If players’ attitudes are that they are outnumbered in games against the Chiefs because it is rigged for them to win, how will this affect the integrity of the game? Will the NFL continue to issue fines against players who voice their opinions for making generalized statements regarding the integrity of the game? Is this restricting the players’ voice to advocate for themselves? Or are these generalized statements against the officiating crews in direct violation of the NFL’s rules? More to come this off season!
[1] https://operations.nfl.com/inside-football-ops/rules-enforcement/accountability-fines-appeals/.
[2] Id.
[3] Id. The Professional Athletes Foundation supports Legends in need and the NFL Foundation supports the health, safety, and wellness of athletes across all levels.
[4] https://www.nfl.com/news/nfl-fines-andy-reid-patrick-mahomes-for-critical-comments-of-officials-following.
[5] https://www.nfl.com/news/nfl-fines-mike-tomlin-25k-for-criticism-of-officials-0ap3000000972507.
[6] Id.
[7] https://www.nfl.com/news/nfl-fines-andy-reid-patrick-mahomes-for-critical-comments-of-officials-following
[8] Id.
[9] https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6144886/2025/02/18/texans-joe-mixon-will-anderson-fines/
[10]https://ublawsportsforum.com/2025/02/15/blown-calls-or-big-controversy-2025-season-reignites-nfl-is-rigged-debate/.
[11] https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6144886/2025/02/18/texans-joe-mixon-will-anderson-fines/
[12]https://frontofficesports.com/joe-mixon-wins-appeal-of-nfl-fine-for-criticizing-refs/#:~:text=Joe%20Mixon%20was%20fined%20%2425%2C000,the%20fine%20has%20been%20rescinded.
[13] https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6144886/2025/02/18/texans-joe-mixon-will-anderson-fines/.
Alex Brockhuizen (’25) is pursuing her JD at the University at Buffalo School of Law, with a concentration in Sports Law. After graduation, she will be working at Bond, Schoeneck & King PLLC. At UB, Alex is co-director of the Labor and Employment Law Society and Treasurer of the Buffalo Sports Law and Entertainment Law Society. She is also Business Editor of the Buffalo Law Review, where she was deemed a finalist of the Note and Comment Competition her 2L year. Alex is also a former two-sport athlete at Elmira College.
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