NFL Getting Ripped For 'Joke' Fine Over Sack Celebration

NFL hands down $15,000 fine

According to the NFL Network's Tom Pelissero, New York EDGE rusher Will McDonald IV was fined $14,491 for his "violent" gesture — which involved pretending to throw a grenade after sacking former teammate Aaron Rodgers.

Noting, "Including Jalen Carter’s lost game check for spitting on Dak Prescott, the league docked players $129,678 for unsportsmanlike conduct in Week 1."

McDonald is coming off a 10.5-sack season in his first year as a starter in 2024, and he's already off to a two-sack start to the '25 campaign.

It didn't take long for fans to rip the league for its "joke" of a fine on the 26-year-old D-lineman.

Fans in disbelief

"NFL is a joke now, you can’t do s—t," a user said. "Can’t taunt, or celebrate. Can barely hit. Turn that s—t into flag football."

"the dumbest people are in charge of this sport," Jeremy Reisman replied.

"Good work by the NFL. He could've killed somebody" another person joked.

"Time for that weekly NFL wage theft," Pat Thorman commented.

"I was literally just on my way to the grenade store to buy every grenade in stock and launch them at my neighbors Then I saw this tweet and realized that this is wrong and that my actions would have consequences and I could get in trouble Thank you, NFL, for saving my life," a fan said facetiously.

"How does the NFLPA let the league take money from the players. WTF is this man," another user asked.

Clearly the NFL is serious about what it's attempting to do. But you have to wonder how much pushback it might eventually get from the Players Association if small things like this continue to ding players' pockets.

The McDonald situation is very similar to that of NBA star Ja Morant who landed himself in hot water with the league for his grenade celebration — although that came after a string of gun-related off-court incidents that saw him suspended by the league for 25 games.