The NFL doubled down on their discipline of Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver George Pickens following the Week 13 victory over the Cincinnati Bengals.
“The NFL fined Steelers WR George Pickens $20,462 for two unsportsmanlike conduct violations — including his finger gun towards the stands after a 46-yard catch last week,” NFL Network insider Tom Pelissero reported on December 7.
As Pelissero noted, NFL Football Operations chose to issue two separate $10,231 fines according to the gameday accountability page. One for his “taunting” penalty in the first quarter, and another for the “violent gesture” that can be seen above. The latter flag occurred in quarter three.
After the game, Pickens claimed that an NFL official on the field acknowledged that they “got the gesture wrong” and misunderstood its meaning. The wide receiver called it typical first down celebration, while the league clearly interpreted it as a “finger gun” — as Pelissero put it.
Despite Pickens’ claims, the league did not waiver in their initial interpretation of this gesture. And now the 23-year-old is stuck footing another bill north of $20,000.
Per Sporting News, his combined 2024 fines have now added up to “nearly $58,000” this season.