Getty Stefon Diggs celebrates after a touchdown against the Miami Dolphins.
Buffalo Bills wide receiver Stefon Diggs was already prepared to dish out about $18 to the fan whose beers he snatched last week in an impromptu touchdown celebration, and now he’ll have to pay the league a lot more.
The NFL handed Diggs a $13,659 fine for unsportsmanlike conduct after he grabbed two beers and sprayed them through the air after catching a touchdown in the team’s October 1 win over the Miami Dolphins. Some fans were not happy about the high dollar amount that the league handed down to Diggs, especially compared to some more controversial plays that weren’t fined quite so much.
Fans Point Out Disparity in NFL Punishment
Diggs broke out the celebration during his team’s 48-20 win over the Dolphins on the first of his three touchdown catches on the day, a score with just over 10 minutes left in the second quarter that put the Bills up 21-14. As he ran toward the crowd, Diggs grabbed a pair of beers to toss in the air, emulating WWE legend Stone Cold Steve Austin.
Some fans were not happy with how much Diggs was fined, noting that it was harsher than some punishments for late hits.
“A player getting fined for more $ for banging two beers together and not hurting anyone vs. a player who targeted and hit someone out of bounds is something I don’t understand,” one fan shared on X.
Some of Diggs’ teammates ended up paying less for more egregious plays. Safety Taylor Rapp was fined $9,611 for a Week 2 hit on Las Vegas Raiders wide receiver Davante Adams, a hit that drew a strong response from Adams.
After the game, Adams took aim at Rapp for what he saw as a dirty hit.
“Was it unnecessary? Completely, obviously,” Adams said, via USA Today.
“Certain players play a certain way too. Some people, out of control, they fly around, they don’t really have much true purpose out there. I mean, playing a half field on one side, you run over and hit somebody in the head on the other side of the field,” Adams added.
Stefon Diggs Has History of Viral Celebrations
This is not the first time that Diggs has gotten some viral attention for a post-touchdown celebration. Back in a 2021 road win over the New England Patriots, Diggs caught a touchdown and was then heard telling a Patriots fan sitting near the field to “shut the f**k up.”
Diggs got in a bit of trouble after the celebration. In an appearance on the Pat McAfee Show later that week, Diggs said his mother let him know that she wasn’t happy with his behavior.
“I actually had a quick talk with my mom after the game, she actually asked to see what I said, if I was embarrassing her on TV,” Diggs said. “I said, ‘Mom, I was doing my best Oprah Winfrey impression… You get a car! You get a car! You get a car!’ ”
Diggs had already expected to pay up for his Week 4 celebration, joking to reporters last week that he would need to reimburse the fan for the touchdown celebration props.
“I owe someone like $18,” Diggs said.
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Bills WR Stefon Diggs Nets Controversial Fine for Beer Celebration