The Cincinnati Bengals are gearing up for a Week 3 divisional matchup on the road this Sunday against the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Ahead of the matchup, Bengals star wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase, who is coming off a two-touchdown performance, spoke to the media.
Amid that, Chase revealed that the NFL fined him this week for his viral dropping-the-elbow/arm celebration that he’s done alongside Tee Higgins through the first two weeks.
Ja’Marr Chase cleared the air surrounding him and Tee Higgins new celebration on his latest episode of Chasing No. 1.
Full podcast 🔽 pic.twitter.com/QTlu7BtuiC
— Chatterbox Sports (@CBoxSports) September 24, 2026
Chase Speaks Out on NFL Fine
Some believe the celebration is inappropriate, despite Chase making it clear that it’s just portraying a WWE wrestling move. He also called out the NFLPA for protecting the players’ money.
“It’s literally a wrestling move,” Chase said on Thursday. “This is where the superstars have to get in with NFLPA and fight for our money.”
Ja’Marr Chase says he did get fined for doing the elbow… “It’s literally a wrestling move… This is where the superstars have to get in with NFLPA and fight for our money.”
— Mike Petraglia (@Trags) September 24, 2026
If Chase continues doing the celebration, the NFL will likely fine him again, and the league could increase the penalty unless his explanation changes its decision moving forward, which seems unlikely.
NFL Fines Kyle Juszczyk for Week 2 Celebration
The league has been very particular about what types of celebrations players do, as it also fined San Francisco 49ers fullback Kyle Juszczyk for his celebration last week, when they believed he was portraying someone chugging a beer, even though his nickname is “Juice.”
As for Chase, he didn’t reveal the exact amount the league fined him, but if it’s similar to Juszczyk’s, it would be in the range of $15,000. The NFL will make the full amount official on Saturday when it releases every fine from the previous week.
Bengals’ Ja’Marr Chase Reveals He Was Punished by NFL Ahead of Week 3