While Buccaneers QB and MVP candidate Baker Mayfield has been known to be a stand up guy, his recent actions in the Bucs’ latest win did not paint a great image of him.
Yesterday afternoon, it was announced that Mayfield was fined 14,191 dollars for an apparently “violent gesture” he made during a touchdown celebration in the Bucs’ Week 13 win over the Cardinals. His teammate Bucky Irving was fined as well, receiving a 6,349 dollar fine for the celebration.
NFL’s Crackdown on Celebrations Comes Into Focus
This comes during a league wide crackdown on on-field celebrations. In Week 13 alone, the NFL issued 29 fines.
This Mayfield’s first such fine of the season, but not the first time he has come under notice for his actions on the field. After a Monday night game against the Detroit Lions, it was said that Mayfield allegedly made some comments about officials that caused the NFL to perk their ears. However, in that case, the league did not decide to intervene.
When asked about the reasoning behind the harsh punishment for Mayfield, Troy Vincent, the executive VP of football operations for the NFL, stated that: “[The nose wipe] has gang connotations; it’s disrespectful. It’s just where we are in society. Young men, they come from that era, from that age, and they’ve grown up on social media. If anybody googles ‘nose wipe,’ you’ll see the language that is used and where that’s affiliated. I think the players know better”.
This specific gesture isn’t new to NFL circles and was apparently a highly popular celebration in Week 13, with players such as DK Metcalf, Kyu Blue Kelly, and Nico Collins all receiving similar fines for the gesture.
Fans were seemingly befuddled by the harsh reactions by the NFL towards the gesture, with some even going so far as to dub the NFL the “No Fun League”.
A Crucial Stretch Ahead for Mayfield and Tampa Bay
Still, with the Bucs in playoff contention and in somewhat of a battle for the NFC South with the feisty Panthers, it would behoove them to start playing like the contenders they believe themselves to be. After all, if you take away the Cardinals win last week, the Bucs have lost three of their pat four games.
With them facing the Panthers twice over the last five weeks of the season, it is paramount that the leaders within this squad focus in down the stretch and know that mistakes such as this can prove costly by the NFL’s standards.
“We’re focusing on a small fraction (of players), but sportsmanship is important… When you see it, you’ve got to kill it. You’ve got to stop it immediately. Most players don’t want it in the game either.” Vincent stated about such issues. This sets a precedent that not only the Bucs, but the entire NFL. Mayfield and Irving’s punishment may be the first for the team..but this is a warning sign that it may not be the last. Both are lucky that they at least got the win.
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