As NFL fines were revealed by Football Operations on the evening of November 23, multiple members of the Week 11 matchup between the Kansas City Chiefs and Buffalo Bills saw their names pop up on the list, including quarterback Patrick Mahomes II.
According to the Gameday Accountability page, Mahomes was fined $14,069 for an “unsportsmanlike conduct (violent gesture)” action that occurred in the fourth quarter. NFL Network insider Tom Pelissero shared the moment that appeared to produce the financial penalty on X.
Within it, Mahomes points his fingers on each hand in a way that was likely too close to a finger gun symbol.
Although Mahomes stole the headlines on November 23, superstar defensive lineman Chris Jones was also fined $11,255 for an “unnecessary roughness (facemask)” that occurred during the second quarter.
The Chiefs actually appear to have gotten away with one here, as the officials missed this clear penalty flag on Jones in Week 11 despite several analysts pointing it out on social media. NFL analytics expert Warren Sharp was one of them, calling it a “blatant” miss by the referees on X.
Finally, one Bills player — defensive end A.J. Epenesa — was fined $15,400 for what was deemed to be “unnecessary roughness (hip-drop tackle).” The league has been cracking down on hip-drop tackles in 2024, often punishing players after the fact rather than flagging them during the game.
Per Football Operations, Epenesa’s hip-drop tackle occurred during quarter four.
Tallying all of that up, Chiefs-Bills produced a total of $40,724 in NFL fines. Two for KC players, one for Buffalo.
NFL Fans Livid Over Patrick Mahomes’ Fine After Chiefs-Bills
Jones and Epenesa’s fines were likely more justified, but NFL fans are beginning to get fed up with the forfeitures that have stemmed from celebrations and “violent gestures.”
Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Andrei Iosivas received a fine after mimicking the popular bow-and-arrow celebration earlier this year against the Chiefs, and now Mahomes must write a $14,000-plus check for pointing his fingers the wrong way.
“This is getting out of control,” one fan commented after Pelissero announced Mahomes’ fine.
Similarly, a second user agreed, questioning: “He’s literally pointing? This is getting pathetic.”
Another said: “So in the US, we can have guns legally but cannot make simple gestures. What a joke.”
And a third wrote that “the NFL is robbing players in broad daylight 🤦♂️.”
Chiefs & Bills Bring in Over 31 Million Viewers for NFL
NFL players have a right to be ticked off at the league for these fines considering the money that they’re bringing in. That goes double for members of the Chiefs and Bills.
“MASSIVE number for Chiefs-Bills in the national window,” Sports Business Journal editor Austin Karp relayed on November 19, noting that there were “31.2 million viewers on CBS.”
“Outside Thanksgiving/Xmas, [that is the] [most viewed] NFL regular season game since CBS’ Pats–Colts Week 9 in 2007 (33.8 million),” Karp added.
The Athletic confirmed this as well, stating that these numbers signify that “Bills-Chiefs matchup wasn’t just the game of the week, it was the most-watched NFL regular-season game of 2024 and the most-watched non-holiday game since 2007.”
Needless to say, stars like Mahomes, Jones and even Epenesa (5 sacks this season) were a huge reason for that ratings total. At what point do the players get fed up with receiving fines as the league profits off their performances?
