Getty Image / Patrick McDermott
Last week, the Detroit Lions and Green Bay Packers met for a Week 18 showdown with the Packers’ playoff chances on the line.
The Lions did everything they could to make sure they dashed those playoff hopes.
The Lions took home a 20-16 win where they were led by a strong performance from their running game. That performance included Jamaal Williams scoring the team’s only two touchdowns in the matchup.
Unfortunately, his celebrations after those touchdowns got him fined by the NFL. Williams reportedly received an $18,566 fine for his dance after scoring.
The NFL fined #Lions RB Jamaal Williams $18,566 again for excessive sexiness – excuse me, unsportsmanlike conduct – as a result of his hip-swiveling TD dances in last Sunday night’s win over the #Packers.
No flags were thrown. pic.twitter.com/Xf5KhUF12b
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) January 14, 2023
Before Williams’ second touchdown, there was an incident that led to an ejection for a Packers player.
Lions running back D’Andre Swift was injured after catching a pass for two yards to get his team inside of the Packers’ 10-yard line. When the athletic trainer came onto the field to attend to him, Packers linebacker Quay Walker shoved him in the back.
Walker was quickly ejected and fans expected him to be punished heavily.
That didn’t happen. Instead, he was fined just $13,261, which is over $5000 less than Williams’ fine for a touchdown celebration.
The NFL fined #Packers LB Quay Walker $13,261 for shoving a #Lions athletic trainer, who was trying to attend to an injured player last Sunday night. Walker was also flagged for unsportsmanlike conduct and ejected.
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) January 14, 2023
Anybody who regularly reads this site knows that I’m not fond of fines for celebrations in general, but how do you justify Williams fine being larger than Walker’s? Walker shoved an NFL employee in the back while he was just trying to do his job.
The NFL’s fine system is broken and there shouldn’t be much hope that they’ll be fixing it any time soon.