CINCINNATI

Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase confirmed on Thursday that both he and teammate Tee Higgins were fined by the league for their new “people’s elbow” celebration.

Chase argued that the celebration—where he grabs his right elbow with his left hand and swings his right arm forward—doesn’t carry the off-color connotations that some have suggested on social media. Instead, it’s just their way of celebrating a first down.

The NFL, however, took a different stance and imposed fines on both players. The penalty for first-time unsportsmanlike conduct is $14,926, while taunting costs $11,941.

Chase mentioned, “We got fined for the people’s elbow stuff. I would love to appeal it. It’s something we made up, and then everybody else is saying what it is. Everyone’s going to have their own opinion on what it looked like.”

According to reports, Higgins has faced fines four times, while Chase has been fined twice, with their total penalties amounting to $89,556.

Chase, who has already accumulated six fines throughout his career, expressed his hope that this latest incident would prompt action from the NFL Players Association. “This is where the superstars have to get in with the NFLPA and fight for our money,” he noted. “If he’s getting fined for doing a drinking gesture, and I’m getting fined for an elbow and doing a first down thing, I don’t know.”

He also shared concerns about players’ freedom of expression. “I don’t even think we can tweet about it because we get fined for tweeting about it. It’s really like players have to keep their mouths shut and deal with it,” he added, emphasizing the need for strong representation within the NFLPA.

Additionally, San Francisco 49ers fullback Kyle Juszczyk was fined for what he described as a misunderstood celebration. The league alleged that it was an imitation of chugging a beer, while Juszczyk insisted he was simply enjoying his juice, a nod to his nickname, “Juice.”

In his own reflection on the situation, Chase pointed out the inconsistency in how celebrations are interpreted, and how players need to push back against these fines for gestures that seem harmless. “We gotta have a superstar in the NFLPA to do something about it, help us along the way.”

Chase’s history with fines includes a previous incident where he received punishment for an obscene gesture directed at Pittsburgh safety Minkah Fitzpatrick during the 2022 season opener. Last season, he also faced a one-game suspension for spitting on Pittsburgh cornerback Jalen Ramsey, resulting in a hefty loss of $507,156. The Bengals are set to play against the Steelers again on Sunday.

Chase has seen fines accumulate for a variety of infractions, including verbally abusing an official in Kansas City, and an obscene gesture in a separate game against Baltimore.

Interestingly, Bengals wide receiver Andrei Iosivas successfully appealed a fine related to a “violent gesture” from a bow-and-arrow celebration after a touchdown in Kansas City a couple of years ago. Since winning that appeal, Iosivas hasn’t used that celebration again.

As for Chase, he remains hopeful that the appeal will be successful, though he didn’t completely rule out using the celebration in the future, even showcasing a possible variation during his press conference. “This is literally like a wrestling move,” he said. “It was something different for us, something new, something we’re trying to be unique. They’re just stopping the fun.”