Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes was fined more than $14,000 by the NFL for what it deemed to be a "violent gesture" he made while celebrating during last week's loss to the Buffalo Bills, NFL Network's Tom Pelissero reported on Saturday (November 23).
"The NFL fined #Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes $14,069 for unsportsmanlike conduct (violent gesture) as he celebrated a touchdown pass last week in Buffalo …," Pelissero wrote on his X account.
Mahomes made a gesture that looked similar to shooting a shotgun. Last month, the NFL said it was "concerned" over "gun-related" celebrations and vowed to enforce stricter penalties.
“[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,” a league executive said to CBS Sports last month via the New York Post. “Now it’s almost an epidemic of them.”
The league reportedly handed out 17 fines for "obscene gestures" in 2024, but hadn't issued any such fines the previous season.
“We don’t think it’s appropriate.… It sends the wrong message,” NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said via the New York Post.
The incident occurred during the Chiefs' first loss of the 2024 season, having started 9-0 prior to losing 30-21 last Sunday (November 17).