Jahmyr Gibbs’ second touchdown of the Detroit Lions’ season opener came with a delayed price tag.
The NFL fined Gibbs $23,027 for unnecessary roughness and use of the helmet stemming from Detroit’s Week 1 victory over the New Orleans Saints, according to the league’s official player accountability report. The violation occurred with 11:18 remaining in the third quarter.
That timestamp is notable. It corresponds with Gibbs’ 1-yard touchdown run that gave Detroit a 14-0 lead.
In other words, one of the biggest plays from Gibbs’ monster afternoon also produced a five-figure bill six days later. It was the biggest fine of Week 1.
Jahmyr Gibbs Fine Came on Second Touchdown vs. Saints
Gibbs took the handoff from the New Orleans 1-yard line on second-and-goal and punched it in for his second touchdown of the afternoon.
The NFL later determined that Gibbs committed unnecessary roughness through impermissible helmet use on the play. The league’s accountability listing does not provide a longer description beyond “use of the helmet.”
NFL rules prohibit a player from lowering his head and initiating forcible contact with his helmet against an opponent. The rule applies to offensive and defensive players, meaning ball carriers can also be disciplined for lowering the helmet into contact.
The league can levy supplemental discipline even when an infraction does not produce an on-field penalty. The NFL and NFLPA review game footage after the fact as part of the league’s accountability process.
Gibbs was one of 20 players fined following Week 1.
Gibbs’ Career Day Gets an Expensive Footnote
The punishment does little to diminish what Gibbs accomplished against New Orleans.
With Detroit leaning more heavily on him in its revamped backfield, Gibbs carried 29 times for a career-high 156 yards and two touchdowns and added five receptions for 30 yards. The Lions needed nearly all of it, eventually surviving 31-30 in overtime after New Orleans failed on a two-point conversion.
That workload has become an early theme for Detroit. Gibbs handled 34 touches in the opener after the Lions moved on from longtime backfield partner David Montgomery during the offseason.
Six days later, the NFL added a less welcome number to his Week 1 stat line: $23,027.
The timing makes the fine particularly strange as a footnote. Detroit celebrated Gibbs reaching the end zone and taking a two-score lead. The league watched the same play again and saw something else.
Lions Star Jahmyr Gibbs Hit With Huge NFL Fine After Touchdown