NFL fines Steelers’ George Pickens, Diontae Johnson for taunting, Jaylen Warren for block
The Pittsburgh Steelers players received five fines from the NFL for their behavior during last week’s victory over the Los Angeles Rams. Two of the fines were for taunting, while the other two were for plays in which the players in question were not flagged.
George Pickens and Diontae Johnson, the starting receivers, were flagged for three flags in total. As a result, the league imposed additional discipline on both players. Pickens was fined $8,525 for needless roughness in the first quarter, following his penalty for an illegal blindside block. Pickens’s flag for taunting during the fourth quarter resulted in an equal amount of fines for unsportsmanlike conduct.
Although it was mitigated by a pass interference call on Los Angeles’ end, Johnson was also flagged for taunting late in the game against the Rams. Johnson paid $10,927 in fines because he was a veteran earning more money than Pickens did on his rookie contract.
The NFL punished running back Jaylen Warren ($48,556) and safety Damontae Kazee ($11,806) for plays they made in the second quarter against the Rams but which the on-field officials did not flag as penalties.
After Michael Hoecht, a pass rusher for the Rams, was hit, Warren was punished. Warren blocked in pass protection, lowering his head to strike Hoecht. Warren was fined for the second time this season for that kind of play; the first occurred in Week 2 against the Cleveland Browns.
Warren, who was an undrafted rookie in the previous season, will get $48,333 per week for the whole 18-week season at his basic salary of $870,000. That implies that Warren essentially worked for free last week due to the fine.