It was obviously coming the moment he did it, and on Saturday we waited to find out just how much Detroit Lions wide receiver Jameson Williams was going to be fined for his celebration after scoring a 61-yard rushing touchdown against the Washington Commanders in the Divisional Round.
Williams was fined $25,325 for unsportsmanlike conduct (obscene gestures). In case you forgot what Williams did (how could you have), here's the clip to remind you.
Williams can thank Amon-Ra St. Brown for saving him from getting to three "pumps", Hingle McCrinkleberry-style. Imagine what the fine would have been then.
Justin Rogers of Detroit Football Network took the St. Brown saving Williams from getting to "three pumps" thing a step further.
Jameson Williams ends the season with another fine
This was the fourth time Williams was fined this season. Two of the other three times were for touchdown celebrations, including a $19,697 fine for mimicking Marshawn Lynch's famous crotch-grab celebration in Week 11 against the Jacksonville Jaguars.
So in terms of unsportsmanlike conduct for an "obscene gesture", Williams was a repeat offender and the league office treated him as such.
As Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press added, Williams lost nearly half of his pay for the playoff game to the fine.
Williams was not the only player from the Lions-Commanders to be fined. Commanders linebacker Frankie Luvu was fined $16,883 for his excessive, unflagged hit on Lions quarterback Jared Goff during Washington's pick-six. Luvu was also fined another $16,883 for a hip-drop tackle (also unflagged) on Lions running back Jahmyr Gibbs a few plays later.
So Luvu's fines for his two offenses, one of which did injure Goff since he left the game to evaluated for a concussion and the other of which could have injured Gibbs, totaled about $8,400 more than Williams' fine for his touchdown celebration. Taking singularly, Williams doing what he did was fined nearly $8,500 more than either of Luvu's dangerous acts that can easily injure an opposing player.
The NFL is inherently random with how it doles out fines (see the odd amounts as the clearest evidence), and there is rightful consideration for a repeat offender like Williams was for his "obscene gesture." But the standard has been set now--you can commit an excessive act that injures an opposing player (the Goff hit) and not be fined as much for what will be deemed an obscene gesture.
