NFL Has Fined Players At Least $3.2 Million In 2023

The exact sum through Week 8 is $3,266,710 for 236 total infractions. That includes most, but not all, of the fines issued by the NFL this season. For instance, Steelers WR Diontae Johnson was fined $25,000 in Week 8 for criticizing the referees after a loss to the Jaguars and that fine is not listed in the NFL’s official release. 

The league will use fines to try and enforce behavior changes that they sometimes cannot with penalty flags, like the use of the helmet rule which has come under scrutiny this year in particular.

The league established the rule in 2018 that made it a penalty for players to initiate contact with their helmet but has steered away from calling it on the field because it’s a hard foul to officiate. 

Per ESPN’s Kevin Seifert, the league issued 229 fines for the violation in 2022 and altered the rules in 2023 to make it harder to appeal. It’s one of the most expensive fines, too. Players can be fined $21,855 for a first violation and $43,709 for a second.

It has not helped, as Seifert reports fines and warning letters have gone up in the past few years for use of the helmet. 

Players are becoming increasingly frustrated with the fines. NFLPA president J.C. Tretter wrote on Wednesday that players are concerned they are being excessively fined:

“By simply creating a new point of emphasis, the NFL can rack up hundreds of escalating fines on players. This is an approach that does not make sense and is leading to money coming out of players’ pockets for things that, often, they are being coached to execute. In short, players feel this has become less about player safety and more about being overly punitive.”

Tretter says there were 460 fines issued last season, and the data from the league shows a similar pace in 2023. 

The NFL and NFLPA collectively bargained fines for the league to enforce certain rules and points of emphasis. Players can be fined for violations including unsportsmanlike conduct, roughing the passer, taunting or other unnecessary roughness penalties.

Players have a right to appeal all fines. Appeals are heard by James Thrash and Derrick Brooks, former players who are jointly appointed by the NFL and NFLPA. Fines can be upheld, reduced or rescinded. All the money from fines is donated to the charity wings of the NFL and NFLPA.