Getty Josh Allen runs for a touchdown in a game against the Cincinnati Bengals.
Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen will have to pay up for his taunt against the Cincinnati Bengals, with the NFL handing out a controversial fine that was larger one for a hit that injured teammate Micah Hyde later in the same game.
Allen had been flagged for taunting on a touchdown run in the first quarter of his team’s 24-18 loss on November 5. After Allen pump-faked Bengals safety Nick Scott out of position, he pointed at Scott as he walked into the endzone for a game-tying touchdown. Allen drew a 15-yard penalty on the play, and now has a fine on top of it.
The league announced on November 11 that Allen was fined $10,927 for the play — an amount nearly twice as big as the one the league gave to Bengals offensive lineman Cordell Volson for his unflagged late hit that has knocked Hyde out of the lineup.
Bills Fans Share Anger Over Fine
The league’s announcement drew some strong pushback from fans, who questioned why Allen would have been given such a bigger fine than Volson. The league’s fines are set as part of the collective bargaining agreement with the NFL Players Association, but it still didn’t sit well with many who spoke out against the league.
“Helmet to helmet away from the ball injuring an all pro player with a history of neck injuries. Fine was half what Josh Allen got for pointing at a defender,” a fan shared on X, formerly known as Twitter.
Allen already had one famous supporter. Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce spoke out earlier in the week, saying it was wrong for officials to throw a flag on him for pointing at an opponent.
“One of the weakest taunting calls you’ve ever seen? Probably,” Kelce said on an episode of the New Heights podcast. “I’m not sure if I’ve seen too many of them… I think it’s bogus. I’m on Josh’s team on this. This is bull****.”
“Who is struggling right now, is my guy Josh Allen,” Kelce added. “And he was struggling with this taunting penalty. Man, it’s f***** up, man. You can’t point at a guy? … This is so f****** wack.”
Bills Lost Micah Hyde for Key Game
While Allen’s taunt may have hurt his wallet a bit this week, the hit on Hyde was even more harmful to the team. The Bills announced on Saturday that Hyde was ruled out of the November 13 game against the Denver Broncos, a key contest as the 5-4 Bills look to get back on track and keep pace with the Miami Dolphins in the AFC East.
The Bills have already suffered a number of other costly injuries on defense, losing cornerback Tre’Davious White, linebacker Matt Milano and defensive tackle DaQuan Jones to season-ending injuries.
Despite the losses, Allen said he was confident that the team could pull out of the struggles and right the ship against the Broncos.