Zac Taylor and the Cincinnati Bengals could have several players draw the ire of the NFL this coming week, including Erick All.
Officials called All for a personal foul and “unnecessary roughness” after he headbutted Miami Dolphins safety Julius Wood while on the kickoff return blocking unit during the Bengals’ 31-24 win over their foes from the AFC East in Week 5.
What comes next will be key.
The NFL could deem All’s action warrants designation as “Striking/Kicking/Tripping/Kneeing” under current rules.
Those infractions can incur fines as high as $12,537 for first-time infractions and up to $18,507 for second-time offenses. All was fortunate to avoid more than the 15-yard penalty he incurred during the contest.
Officials ejected San Francisco 49ers linebacker Dre Greenlaw for a headbutt in Week 5.
Greenlaw headbutted Seattle Seahawks LB Ernest Jones during the 49ers’ eventual 32-29 victory on Sunday.
It is important to note that the NFL levies fines at its own discretion. So a fine for All could fall within the listed range or beyond, if the league comes down on All further at all. Gordon could be seen trying to confront All after the incident, with teammates and officials stepping in.
All was also not the only Bengals player who committed a potentially fineable offense.
Erick All, Bengals Teammate Cold Hear From NFL
Like All, Bengals safety Dax Hill walked a fine line during the contest, drawing an unnecessary roughness call for “pulling a player off of the pile.”
To be clear, both Hill and Dolphins running back Ollie Gordon were standing when the Bengals defensive back pulled his opponent from a larger fracas to get his attention. But the specifics of the call is what matters most.
The NFL forbids “pulling an opponent off a pile of players in an aggressive or forcible manner.”
While it does not appear on their public-facing schedule of fines for in-game infractions, the NFL regularly fines players for the offense.
Denver Broncos outside linebacker Nik Bonitto received an $11,593 fine for pulling then-Washington Commanders center Tyler Biadasz off a pile that consisted of the latter and now-Tennessee Titans defensive lineman John Franklin-Myers last season.
The league fined New York Giants cornerback Dru Phillips $7,293 for ripping the ball out of Minnesota Vikings running back Aaron Jones’ hands as the latter was on the ground in 2025.
Bengals, Dolphins on Notice
All and Hill were the only players on the Bengals or Dolphins who drew flags for fineable offenses during the game, but that does not mean everyone else is off the hook.
Just as the NFL exercises discretion with fines, it can also fine players for uncalled infractions.
That means virtually all players on both teams who played in the game have to be on the lookout for a notice from the NFL in the coming days. The NFL announces fines on Saturdays, but All and Hill or anyone else will have been made aware of any fines before then.
Cincinnati is on bye in Week 6, but both All and Hill will look to play cleaner games when the Bengals take on the Baltimore Ravens in Week 7.
Two Cincinnati Bengals Players Facing Discipline From NFL