Lions running back Jamaal Williams was fined twice for touchdown celebrations this season, and he finally had a forum to call out the NFL for it.
Jamaal Williams set the Detroit Lions single-season franchise record for rushing touchdowns this season with 17. So he had plenty of opportunities to celebrate, and possibly draw the ire of the NFL office.
He was ultimately fined twice for his touchdown celebrations, in Week 3 and Week 18, totaling about $31,800. Each time, respectively, he was fined more than a teammate was for a dangerous hit and throwing a punch then more than an opposing player was fined for shoving a Lions’ trainer. He was fined for, essentially, thrusting his hips too much–there’s well-known and easily mocked “three pump” limit. “No Fun League” indeed. And it was not the only two times he did that celebration, or the first time he did it in his career.
Williams recenty appeard on the podcast hosted by teammate Amon-Ra St. Brown and St.Brown’s brother, Bears’ wide receiver Equanimeous St. Brown. He openly lamented the aforementioned fines.
Jamaal Williams is tired of the NFL’s fine-levying hypocrisy
Williams didn’t pull any punches to call out the NFL’s fine schedule for touchdown celebrations that are determined to have crossed a line.
"Honestly, I feel like I’m not doing nothing wrong. They just being weenies,”I just feel like they’re trying to take my personality away, my joy,” Williams said. “Because now, I literally have to stop doing it. So now, when I score, I’ma literally just gonna sit down and pout, like a little baby or something.”They wanna fine me, yet put all that stuff up there, brand it, and put me up there and use it,” Williams said. “But they want to take my money, though. Hmm.”"
Williams added that he has appealed the fines. A further sign of the league’s hypocrisy came when he was on NFL Network’s “Good Morning Football” Tuesday morning. A whole segment was dedicated to Williams as an expert on touchdown celebrations.
In a time honored tradition of hypocrisy, NFL network is featuring Jamaal Williams on GMFB as the premier “expert on TD celebrations” … the very thing they fined him for TWICE this season. pic.twitter.com/M6kpZqvRxS
— Erik Schlitt (@erikschlitt) January 31, 2023
Williams did say he has a new celebration in store for next season. So stay tuned for that, whether he’s back in a Lions uniform or not.