Ravens have been on the receiving end of such fines
There was a national reaction last week after Baltimore Ravens fullback Patrick Ricard was fined $21,694 for unnecessary roughness against the Arizona Cardinals in Week 8. Film of the play was posted by The Baltimore Banner’s Jonas Shaffer, and both pundits and players were pissed.
I will say it again… This is STEALING money from guys.
These absurd fines for routine football plays have got to stop.
Fines for intentfully malicious plays?
Absolutely.Taking $21,694 from a guy for this?!
What are we doing. This is out of control. https://t.co/GC05qoUScs
— JJ Watt (@JJWatt) November 5, 2023
What the fuck is the NFL doing with fines this year? https://t.co/ROvuM3egGt
— Sam Monson (@PFF_Sam) November 5, 2023
How is this even a possibility? https://t.co/AOvjtrwRFs
— Kirk Herbstreit (@KirkHerbstreit) November 5, 2023
This is fucking out of control https://t.co/vb6yF0FcSJ
— Will Compton (@_willcompton) November 5, 2023
There has to be something after whistle on this that happens after the video, right? https://t.co/mWBAHHLWNY
— Jeff Zrebiec (@jeffzrebiec) November 4, 2023
Wow. This is absurd. The entire block, including the pancake, was necessary to help push Edwards in for the score.
Did Stanley end up getting fined for blocking the DB for the Lions out of the back of the end zone?#RavensFlock https://t.co/I1C4XKlqHS
— Ken McKusick (@FilmstudyRavens) November 5, 2023
This fine appeared to bubble the already simmering frustration to a boil, and on Wednesday, NFLPA President J.C. Tretter released an article on the NFL fine system.
“Our members are voicing their concerns both privately and publicly that the NFL is excessively fining players. Furthermore, the league has control of the points of emphasis and their enforcement. By simply creating a new point of emphasis, the NFL can rack up hundreds of escalating fines on players. This is an approach that does not make sense and is leading to money coming out of players’ pockets for things that, often, they are being coached to execute. In short, players feel this has become less about player safety and more about being overly punitive.”
The Ravens are likely among those expressing frustration. Since the start of the 2023 NFL season, Ravens have been fined a total of $224,232.
Player: Total amount fined
- O. Beckham – $55k
- J. Madubuike: $32.5k
- P. Ricard: $21.7k
- P. Queen: $21.5k
- K. Hamilton: $20.5k
- M. Pierce: $16.3k
- R. Stanley: $16.3k
- R. Smith: $16.3k
- R. Bateman: $16.3k
- B. Stephens: $7.2k
Now, it’s on the NFL to either respond or continue in their fine-happy ways of charging players inordinate amounts of money.