A couple of NFL wide receivers will have a little extra money in their pocket this week.
Both Ja’Marr Chase of the Cincinnati Bengals and Jameson Williams of the Detroit Lions had two fines rescinded, NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reported Tuesday.
Williams won his appeal against fines of $14,926 and $11,941 for his celebrations against the Buffalo Bills in Week 2.
He was fined for a "brief gesture" where he pretended to smoke. Williams argued that "marijuana is legal in some states if that was the gesture he was making.“
The Lions were playing the Bills in the state of New York, where marijuana is legal.
Per Rapoport, appeals officer Derrick Brooks wrote, “Although I rescinded this fine, please make every effort to celebrate with your teammates in the best professional manner possible.”
Meanwhile, Chase had his fines of $14,926 and $11,941 rescinded for the “people’s elbow” celebration he and teammate Tee Higgins made in a Week 2 win over the Houston Texans.
“We got fined for the people’s elbow stuff,” Chase said after the fine. “I would love to appeal it. It’s something we made up, and then everybody else saying what it is. Everybody gonna have their own opinion of what it looked like.”
According to the letter from the appeal office, Chase argued "that this is a new celebration with his teammate and that it is not offensive. Mr. Chase finally stated that the NFL is assuming the worst of him and his teammate without discussing with the NFLPA.“
These are not the first fines to be rescinded this year, as 49ers fullback Kyle Juszczyk also won an appeal for what he claimed was a misinterpreted celebration. The league said the fine was for imitating chugging a beer, but Juszczyk, whose nickname is “Juice,” said he’s been doing the celebration for years and he’s just drinking his juice.
