During Sunday’s AFC Championship game between the Kansas City Chiefs and the Buffalo Bills, the referees chose not to throw a flag on Travis Kelce for taunting even though he got in the face of Bills safety Damar Hamlin.
However, the league has since changed its mind and determined that a penalty should have been awarded.
In the second quarter of the game, Kelce had a heated exchange with Bills safety Damar Hamlin.
Late in the second quarter of Sunday’s game, Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes scrambled out of the pocket and made a run for the end zone, ultimately scoring a touchdown.
As Mahomes crossed the goal line on the play, he was met with a hit from Hamlin, which immediately sparked a reaction from Kelce.
Following the hit, Kelce quickly ran up to Hamlin, got in his face, shook his head, and flashed a smile at the Bills defender.
Although no penalty was called at the time, the league reviewed the play and decided to issue a fine.
According to a report from Pro Football Talk, Kelce has been fined $11,255 for taunting as a result of the incident.
The NFL rulebook prohibits “abusive, threatening, or insulting language or gestures to opponents” as well as “baiting or taunting acts or words that may engender ill will between teams.” Clearly, the league felt that Kelce violated those rules.
Though it’s unclear why officials didn’t call a penalty at the time, the NFL has now made sure Kelce faces discipline after the fact.
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