Cincinnati Bengals’ Chase Brown Fined $5K for Using Salvation Army Kettle in Touchdown Celebration: ‘Really?’

The NFL has fined Cincinnati Bengals running back Chase Brown for jumping into the Dallas Cowboys’ gigantic red Salvation Army donation kettle after scoring a touchdown on Monday Night Football earlier this month.

The $5,481 unsportsmanlike conduct fine, which came in response to Brown’s second quarter touchdown reception during the Bengals’ 27-20 win over the Cowboys on Dec. 9, was reported by ESPN earlier this week.

The outlet reported that the fine is due to the NFL banning players from using props during their touchdown celebrations, which have seen a handful of rules relaxed in recent years as they become more embedded in the game.

After the game, the 24-year-old running back was shocked when reporters informed him the league could potentially fine him for the celebration. Jumping into the red Salvation Army kettle has become somewhat of an NFL tradition in Dallas, when the team sets up the display behind the endzone during the holidays each year.

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Even Brown told reporters he was so used to seeing it happen every year that he wasn’t aware there were any rules against such a celebration.

"I've seen everybody do it since I was a kid, so I'm like, 'screw it, I'm gonna do it," Brown told reporters in a postgame video shared by ESPN's Ben Baby.

A reporter then asked Brown, “don’t you get a fine for that? Jumping in the kettle?”

“Do I really?” Brown said, looking shocked. “I hope not. Like, a big fine?”

Another reporter then asked Brown if it was “worth it” to get fined for jumping in the kettle.

“No, definitely not!” the Bengals running back laughed. “I don’t make enough money for that s—.”

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NBC Sports noted that Brown was not penalized for unsportsmanlike conduct by officials during the game. The outlet also reported that the NFL has gone back-and-forth with fines related to the red kettle jump, sometimes issuing a fine and sometimes not.

In one example, NBC notes that Cowboys running back Ezekiel Elliot was fined $13,369 for jumping in the kettle in 2018, but wasn’t fined for the same celebration in 2016. In Nov. 2023, during a game on Thanksgiving Day, the league also didn’t issue fines after multiple Cowboys players jumped in the red kettles behind the endzone and ate turkey legs preemptively hidden inside them.

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In an interview with The Athletic on Tuesday, Brown said he plans to appeal the NFL’s decision.

“I’d rather just donate it, like let’s cut it in half and donate it to Salvation Army,” Brown said before pointing out that the kettles are in “every corner” of the stadium and the opportunity to jump in is just too good for players to pass up.

“It’s bait!” Brown laughed. “We’re getting set up.”

Read the original article on People