Pittsburgh Steelers RB Jaylen Warren has been hit with an unexpected fine. And it’s not a small amount. According to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero, he was fined $48,333 for illegal use of his helmet in Monday night’s 26-22 win over the Cleveland Browns.
UPDATE (4:35 PM): According to the NFL’s fine log, Warren’s actual fine amount was $48,556, not the $48,333 Pelissero reported.
Take a look at the play.
As Pelissero notes, Warren was not fined for this play. It came on third down, a good playcall getting him open down the left sideline for a 30-yard gain. At the end of the run, Warren lowered his head into the Browns’ defender, which is where the fine comes from.
The high fine number is because Warren is considered a repeat offender. Similar happened with LB Kwon Alexander, fined in the preseason for a hit on a Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ RB, though that fine was recently rescinded. Warren will have the right to appeal. In fact, Warren’s agent David Canter just tweeted he is appealing the fine.
On an undrafted rookie contract, that kind of money is a huge amount of his paycheck. In fact, his base salary over 18 weeks works out to exactly $48,333, meaning he lost his entire gamecheck this week (and that’s before taxes).
According to the CBA, the appeal can at the least reduce a player’s fine if it’s a huge sum of his paycheck.
“On appeal, a player may assert, among other defenses, that any fine should be reduced because it is excessive when compared to the player’s expected earnings for the season in question. However, a fine may be reduced on this basis only if it exceeds 25 percent of one week of a player’s salary for a first offense, and 50 percent of one week of a player’s salary for a second offense. A player may also argue on appeal that the circumstances do not warrant his receiving a fine above the amount stated in the schedule of fines.”
NFL fines are set by the CBA and increase a designated percentage each year. All fine money is given to charity.
He is the third known Steeler to be fined this year, joining S Keanu Neal and LS Christian Kuntz, who were fined in Week One. The NFL has not officially released its list of Week Two fines, meaning there could be other Steelers’ players. It also wouldn’t be surprising to see Cleveland Browns’ QB Deshaun Watson fined for his actions Monday night.
