Sports

Dallas Cowboys wide receiver George Pickens has been fined $26,085 by the NFL for unsportsmanlike conduct after jumping onto the goal post as part of a touchdown celebration.

Pickens scored a touchdown in the second quarter of the Cowboys' dominant Week 11 win over the Las Vegas Raiders on Monday. The celebration was flagged by referees, with officials calling a 15-yard unsportsmanlike conduct penalty as a result.

Christian Petersen via Getty Images

The fine is larger than the second offense for an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty, indicating Pickens may have been fined more heavily due to repeat offenses. This is Pickens' fifth fine of the season, with nearly all of them relating to unsportsmanlike conduct or taunting.

Pickens was fined twice during Dallas' win over the New York Giants in Week 2, with him and fellow receiver CeeDee Lamb fined $14,491 each for a gun-related celebration after a touchdown; Pickens was then fined an additional $14,491 for taking off his helmet before leaving the field. Pickens was also fined for taunting in Week 7's win over the Washington Commanders and Week 9's loss to the Arizona Cardinals.

The league cited "use of a prop" as the reason for this fine. Seattle Seahawks receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba was given a similar fine in Week 7 for dunking the ball over the cross bar in a touchdown celebration, though Smith-Njigba was only fined $14,491 for his first offense.

Pickens and Lamb were both benched to start the game as a coach's decision from Cowboys coach Brian Schottenheimer. Both receivers went on to score in the blowout win, and Pickens finished with a team-leading 144 receiving yards on nine receptions.

Though the team originally stayed quiet on why the receivers were benched, Lamb revealed Thursday he and Pickens had missed curfew while getting dinner and drinks at a casino in Las Vegas.

After Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Ja'Marr Chase spit on Pittsburgh Steelers defensive back Jalen Ramsey last week, Ramsey punched Chase, resulting in an ejection and, ultimately, a $14,491 fine from the league, according to NFL Network's Tom Pelissero.

Chase was the one suspended, however, and will lose more than $500,000 for his one-game absence, Pelissero reported Saturday.

In the moment, the officials didn't see Chase spitting on Ramsey. That's why the Bengals' star wideout didn't receive a second unsportsmanlike conduct penalty like Ramsey did.

Chase finished out what was a 34-12 Steelers victory.

The four-time Pro Bowl receiver denied spitting postgame, but a field-level video taken by Fox 19 WXIX-TV shows the inciting incident, which followed an intense back and forth between the standout skill players.

A play before Ramsey's ejection, they had both received unsportsmanlike penalties. Ramsey, a three-time All-Pro cornerback, said Chase tried to crackback block him, per ESPN. But Chase spitting escalated the situation even more.

"He spit on me," Ramsey said postgame, via ESPN. "I don't give a f*** about football after that, respectfully. I'm always going to be all for trash talking, s*** talking, things like that. I actually enjoy that part of the game. I think that people know that. ... We were talking s***, which I'm cool with. And then as soon as he spit, it was f*** that. ... I'm sure the NFL, they'll do their due diligence.

"They've got 100 cameras out there. They can investigate. They can see everything. ... They should be able to pull it up and see that he spit and it's whatever after that, to be honest. I was still a little too nice if I'm keeping it honest with you."

Pittsburgh acquired Ramsey in a blockbuster trade with the Miami Dolphins this past offseason. Ramsey has become a Steelers leader in his first year with the team, stepping up to play safety at points this season for an injury-riddled secondary.

His head coach didn't seem to have a problem with the way Ramsey stood up for himself against Chase.

"I have no message if someone spits in your face," Mike Tomlin said Tuesday before pausing briefly.

Tomlin then added: "Do what comes natural."