Even though Christmas is over, there was an incident during the NFL game that led to a punishment for Chiefs star Travis Kelce. Reports say Kelce has to pay a fine for breaking NFL rules. He used a prop other than a football when he dunked the ball after passing Tony Gonzalez.
The NFL just fined Kansas City Chiefs player Travis Kelce $14,069 for his unsportsmanlike behavior. The fine came after Kelce dunked the ball over the goalpost during his Christmas Day touchdown celebration against the Steelers.
It was a bow to Tony Gonzalez, a former Chiefs star who was famous for celebrating in the same way. But since 2014, the league has not allowed those kinds of actions.
Fans were shocked by the hefty fine, as dunking the ball is a common celebration for tight ends. But the NFL saw Kelce’s case differently and decided to penalize him.
The NFL fined #Chiefs TE Travis Kelce $14,069 for unsportsmanlike conduct (use of prop) — dunking over the crossbar on Christmas in tribute to Tony Gonzalez after breaking his franchise TD record.
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) January 4, 2025
Gonzalez posted he’ll help with the fine.
pic.twitter.com/c6QZVYYhSa
Travis Kelce’s touchdown was his 77th career catch, breaking Tony Gonzalez’s record for the Chiefs. Fans responded positively to his post-game celebration, but the NFL’s decision to fine him sparked significant backlash.
Fans react to Travis Kelce’s hectic fine
The NFL fine imposed on Travis Kelce upset many fans. People criticized the league on social media, calling it the “No Fun League.” Fans felt that honoring a legend like Tony Gonzalez shouldn’t be considered unsportsmanlike conduct.
Some said Kelce could afford the fine because of his podcast and other earnings. But it’s not about the money—it’s about keeping fans entertained and celebrating moments that make the game special.
NoFunLeague sucks
— J.M.lll (@JMIII320) January 5, 2025
BTW @NFL in the eyes of football fans, this is NOT unsportsmanlike conduct. Let players celebrate!!
— Dazed & Confused 🎸💪🎼🏋️♀️🇺🇸🥃 (@markoj1957) January 4, 2025
Lol the league is so soft with these fines. 14k for dunking over the crossbar. What a joke.
— Traf (@trafridrod) January 4, 2025
Glad to see that he did it to honor a great like Gonzalez
Shit I would pitch in for that…nfl =no fun league
— Josh Henderson (@joshsox636) January 4, 2025
So ridiculous! 🤦♀️🤦♀️❤️💛 honoring another player is not unsportsmanlike conduct 🤷♀️
— Stacy & Kasey (@the_brewskies) January 4, 2025
