Denver Broncos guard Quinn Meinerz was part of a unique celebration against the Rams, and it'll cost him $15K.
The NFL is becoming more erratic every week when it comes to fining players for touchdown celebrations, and the latest odd twist on this phenomenon is the fine incurred by offensive guard Quinn Meinerz for dice rolling after one of the Denver Broncos’ scoring plays in their 30-26 win over the Los Angeles Rams on Sunday night.
The celebration occurred after a two-point conversion throw from quarterback Bo Nix to receiver Jaylen Waddle during the third quarter. According to a report from Charean Williams of Pro Football via Mike Klis of 9News, Meinerz playfully “waddled” over to the receiver to offer congratulations, and his teammates mimicked a dice roll.
Meinerz was fined $14,926 for what the league called an illegal celebration, and Williams added that it “seems likely” the NFL fined Waddle the same amount.
Meinerz joked about the fine, saying “we were playing Yahtzee.” His comment is especially ironic given how deeply in bed the NFL is with multiple sports betting entities, with odds for in-game bets being projected and commented on as part of most broadcasts. The guard said he will appeal the fine.
The NFL has always been unpredictable when it comes to these kinds of celebration-based fines, but this season has come with some new twists. San Francisco 49ers fullback Kyle Juszcyk was recently fined the same amount for chugging a beer during his pantomimed celebration, and this kind of thing isn’t quite the same as shooting gestures or crotch grabbing that have drawn the league’s attention in the past.
The commentary is especially amusing, especially since it dates back to 2017, per Williams, when the league said it has no issues with celebratory dice rolls. Per Williams, a spokesperson statedthat the leauge “isn’t in a place to determine” whether players were referring to Yahtzee or backgammon.
There hasn’t been any serious reporting done about what’s behind the sudden move to fine innocuous celebrations like beer quaffing or dice rolling, but we’re sure to find out more soon. The assumption until now was that the Juszcyk fine was something of an aberration, but what just happened to Meinerz might indicate that something different is afoot.
Few players are more innocuous in their public image that Juszcyk, who is a fullback, and Meinerz, who’s been a solid citizen on a Denver offensive line that’s full of them. Coach Sean Payton hasn’t commented on the fine yet, as these fans are typically announced on a Friday after media availability for the week is concluded, thus eliminating the ability to do immediate followup.
