NFL Makes Punishment Decision on George Pickens Incident

Pickens failed to haul in what would have been a touchdown pass from quarterback Dak Prescott at the 12:12 mark of the second quarter. However, Reaves can be seen delivering a late hit on Pickens as the latter was falling to the ground. The referees deemed Reaves’ tackle excessive, resulting in an unnecessary roughness penalty against the Commanders star.

This led to a 15-yard penalty against Washington, allowing the Cowboys to push the ball forward to the 4-yard line. Dallas was able to score on the succeeding snap, with running back Javonte Williams rushing in for a 4-yard TD.

After an investigation into the incident, the NFL decided no punishment was required for Reaves. The league released its list of fines from Week 17 on Saturday via the gameday accountability report, and Reaves was not included.

For context, the NFL fined 21 incidents of unnecessary roughness in Week 17. The most substantial ones were on Azeez Al-Shaair of the Houston Texans and Alontae Taylor of the New Orleans Saints, who were both fined $23,186.

Pickens and the Cowboys have one final game on Sunday. They close out the season with a matchup against the New York Giants. The Commanders, on the other hand, face the Philadelphia Eagles in their season finale.