Both Pittsburgh Steelers WR Diontae Johnson and WR George Pickens were fined, with Pickens being fined twice, for penalties in Pittsburgh’s Week Seven win over the Los Angeles Rams. S Damontae Kazee was also fined for a play that was not penalized. Pickens was first flagged for an illegal crackback block against DB Russ Yeast, negating a big gain for Johnson. He was fined $8,528 for that hit.
He was fined in the fourth quarter for taunting Yeast. That fine set him back another $8,528, totaling $17,056 in total fines.
Johnson was also fined for taunting, which came on Pittsburgh’s third-to-last play in regulation. He was jawing with former Steelers CB Ahkello Witherspoon after Witherspoon was flagged for a defensive pass interference penalty that likely would’ve ended the game. Despite the penalties off-setting, the Steelers were able to convert the first down on a controversial QB sneak.
It’s the second fine in as many seasons for Johnson, who was also fined for a taunting penalty against the Carolina Panthers last season. Johnson was fined $10,297.
For Pickens, it’s the first fine for the second-year receiver, although he avoided a fine for a hit that ended up leading to him being ejected last season.
S Damontae Kazee was also fined for illegal use of helmet for a hit on WR Puka Nacua with BLANK. That fine cost Pittsburgh’s safety $11,806. It’s the second fine of the season for Kazee, who was also fined $11,806 in Pittsburgh’s Week Two win over the Cleveland Browns for unnecessary roughness.
The largest fine amount belonged to Steelers RB Jaylen Warren, who can’t seem to catch a break this season. A repeat offender, Warren was fined $48,556 for unnecessary roughness on a play that occurred with 10:21 remaining in the first half.
This is the second time Warren has been fined $48,556, as he was fined the same amount in Week Two against the Cleveland Browns. It’s essentially a game check for Warren, but the number can be reduced on appeals. It’s a tough string for the second-year running back, who has taken on a larger role this season. Warren was not penalized on the play. He was likely fined for lowering his head and leading with the crown of his helmet, as this slowed and zoomed clip of the play from Dave Bryan shows.
Those were the only fines for Pittsburgh this week. The penalties by Johnson and Pickens were costly, and easily avoided. The Steelers will look to clean up their act on Sunday when they take on the Jacksonville Jaguars and try to end their four-game winning streak at Acrisure Stadium.
All NFL fine amounts are set by the CBA and go up a predetermined percentage each year. All fines go to charity.
