The Carolina Panthers picked up an impressive road victory over the Philadelphia Eagles in Week 6, but the win came at a financial cost for four players.
The NFL announced its latest round of disciplinary fines on Saturday, October 24, penalizing four Panthers players a combined $30,694 for incidents during Carolina’s 25-14 victory over Philadelphia.
According to the NFL’s official game-day accountability report, Feleipe Franks, Will Lee, Tommy Tremble and Zakee Wheatley were all fined for separate incidents.
Three of those fines were for taunting, an unusually high number considering the NFL issued just four taunting fines across the league for Week 6.
Panthers Players Fined More Than $30,000 by NFL
The NFL’s disciplinary report identified four separate incidents involving Carolina players during the October 18 game against Philadelphia.
The fines were as follows:
- Tommy Tremble: $11,941 for taunting with 6:39 remaining in the fourth quarter.
- Feleipe Franks: $6,750 for an illegal blindside block with 12:57 remaining in the second quarter.
- Will Lee: $6,377 for taunting with 6:31 remaining in the third quarter.
- Zakee Wheatley: $5,626 for taunting with 4:32 remaining in the fourth quarter.
The taunting penalties accounted for $23,944 of Carolina’s total fines.
The only other player fined for taunting in Week 6 was Green Bay Packers wide receiver Matthew Golden, who received an $11,941 penalty.
That means Carolina accounted for 75% of the league’s taunting fines from the weekend.
Of the three Panthers players fined for taunting, Tremble was the only one penalized by officials during the game, according to NBC Sports.
Tommy Tremble Explained His Taunting Penalty Against Eagles
Tremble’s fine carries additional context because the Panthers tight end openly acknowledged his actions following the victory.
After catching a 19-yard touchdown pass from Bryce Young in the fourth quarter, Tremble turned toward Eagles defensive back Cooper DeJean and pointed at him.
The gesture came shortly after DeJean was penalized for an incident involving Panthers tight end Mitchell Evans.
Tremble explained after the game that he believed DeJean’s actions against his teammate crossed a line.
“I just thought that earlier personal foul was just kind of egregious, and so it was uncalled for, something that didn’t need to happen,” Tremble said, via NBC Sports. “I shouldn’t have retaliated. That wasn’t cool for me to do.”
The resulting 15-yard penalty pushed Carolina’s extra-point attempt back to 48 yards, and kicker Ryan Fitzgerald missed.
Tremble also anticipated the financial consequences, telling reporters after the game that he expected to pay a fine.
The NFL confirmed that punishment six days later.
Despite the penalty, Tremble enjoyed a productive afternoon. He caught two touchdown passes from Young, helping Carolina improve to 3-2.
Panthers Face Buccaneers After Dave Canales Criticized Penalties
The fines add another chapter to an issue that already drew criticism from Panthers head coach Dave Canales.
Carolina committed 13 penalties against Philadelphia, an unusually high total for a team that nevertheless managed to secure an 11-point road victory.
Canales was particularly frustrated with his team’s lack of discipline after the game.
“The penalties (were) outrageous. It’s not a part of our football,” Canales said, according to NFL.com.
The coach also emphasized that Carolina needed to play smarter and eliminate unnecessary mistakes.
The Panthers will get another opportunity to demonstrate that improvement when they host the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday, October 25, at Bank of America Stadium.
Carolina enters the NFC South matchup with a 3-2 record and an opportunity to build on its victory over Philadelphia.
The four fines announced Saturday do not represent suspensions, and the league’s disciplinary process allows players to appeal financial penalties.
For Canales, the concern extends beyond the money. Carolina overcame 13 penalties against Philadelphia, but the Panthers have little reason to make their next opponent’s job any easier.
NFL Announces Punishment for Carolina Panthers Before Buccaneers Game