Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen came out of last week’s game against the Kansas City Chiefs with a big win — and a slightly lighter wallet.
The NFL announced on Saturday that Allen was punished for his actions in the third quarter of the 28-21 win. This is the second time that Allen has been fined by the NFL, though he avoided punishment for a similar incident earlier this season.
NFL Punishes Josh Allen for ‘Violent Gesture’
The NFL announced on Saturday that Allen was fined $14,491 for what the league called a “violent gesture” late in the third quarter.
The play came as Allen led the Bills on a touchdown drive to give Buffalo a 28-13 lead. After rushing for a one-yard touchdown, Allen handed the ball to offensive lineman Spencer Brown to spike it. Allen then caught the ball after the bounce, spiked it himself, and turned to wide receiver Elijah Moor to make what appeared to be a motion of shooting a gun. Moore was also fined for his gesture in response.
The NFL has made an effort to crack down on what it calls violent gestures, which include mimicking the firing of a gun. Walt Anderson, an NFL officiating rules analyst, told NFL.com in 2024 that the league wanted players to focus on legal celebrations.
“Unsportsmanlike gestures like simulating or either shooting a gun or brandishing a gun, or inappropriate gestures like a throat slash, or unfortunate sexual gestures, those were up 133% so that is a point of emphasis,” Anderson said. “The officials have made it a point of emphasis to the clubs. It’s just one of those areas that the league wants to work actively on. There are plenty of ways for players to be able to celebrate, and they come up with some very unique and often entertaining ways so we want them to focus on those and not the inappropriate areas.”
Allen was not flagged for the celebration in last week’s game, which the Bills went on to win 28-21. The win kept the Bills in the hunt for first place in the AFC East, keeping them a half-game behind the New England Patriots.
The Patriots currently hold the tiebreaker after beating the Bills in October.
Josh Allen Faced Trouble in the Past
This is the second time that Allen appeared to celebrate by mimicking a gun shooting this season, though the first instance went unpunished. In the team’s 31-21 win over the Miami Dolphins, Allen took a late hit from linebacker Jordyn Brooks and pointed toward Brooks, pretending to fire a gun toward the Dolphins defender.
Allen was not flagged for the play, and the league opted not to fine Allen that week.
The fine issued this week came largely as a surprise, as the broadcast did not clearly show Allen’s celebration and it was not mentioned by the announcing crew. It was also not directed toward an opponent.
The Bills quarterback has faced past punishment for a celebration. In 2023, the league fined him $10,927 for pointing at a Cincinnati Bengals defender as he was rushing for a touchdown.
Bills QB Josh Allen Faces NFL Punishment for Action in Chiefs Win