“This is stealing money from players!” JJ Watt calls out excessive fines in football

Jaylen Warren was slapped with two of the heftiest fines in the NFL for dangerous play.

“This is stealing money from players!” JJ Watt calls out excessive fines in football

JJ Watt (Via Facts.net)

It’s true the NFL treats players’ safety as the utmost priority and when that’s compromised, fines and penalties come in order. However, sometimes the officials get a bit carried away with the amount the players are fined. And that’s what’s happening this season.

Fining the football players for unnecessary roughness this season has brought in more than $3.2 million already. And there still remains around half a season left. Questioning this, JJ Watt took the bold step and called out the NFL officials with a blunt remark.

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The former Arizona Cardinals DE, who retired last year, in 2022, went on his social media in concern for the recent fine imposed on the Baltimore Ravens FB Patrick Richard for the game against the Cardinals. Watt wrote: 

I will say it again…This is STEALING money from guys. These absurd fines for routine football plays have got to stop.
JJ Watt on X

He bluntly remarked, which also received many affirmations within the industry: 

You can LITERALLY target a players knee with your helmet intentionally. So don’t act like we’re on some high and mighty “player safety” crusade.

The former NFL star responded to a video shared by Jonas Shaffer, showing how Richard has been fined $21,694 for unnecessary roughness during a tackle, in the second quarter. From the video, it appeared the cut block played by Richard was legal, yet he was fined.

How NFL’s unfair fines are hurting players like Jaylen Warren?

This isn’t the first time that the Houston Texans have spoken about this fine issue by the officials. Previously, Pittsburgh Steelers running back Jaylen Warren was hugely fined for the second time. Watt came out defending him and called the accused NFL of ‘stealing.’

Jaylen Warren
Jaylen Warren heftily fined (Via ESPN)

Watt was particularly disturbed by the fact that the entire paycheck of running back Warren was taken away by the officials. He was slapped with two of the heftiest fines in the NFL for dangerous play. Ironically, neither of those plays were flagged by the referees on the field. But still, it was fined with $39,000 and $48,333 by the NFL.

The three-time Defensive Player of the Year, JJ Watt believes the players are being punished brutally in football. And it is proved by the millions of dollars that the NFL collected from the players this season. Watt has also argued the way officials change the rules abruptly for the sake of safety needs to be watched over.

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