Ja’Marr Chase has another fine from the NFL hanging over him, this time for the celebration gesture he and Tee Higgins cooked up this season after big plays.
The exact amount wasn’t known at the time Chase spoke, but he said he had already heard from the league about the forward-elbow motion he’s been using. Chase pushed back on the idea that it’s anything more than a wrestling-style nod, and he didn’t hide his frustration with how the NFL is handling celebration rules.
"I don't know. I'm trying to figure out because that's not what it is," Chase told the media about getting the league's perspective on what they think the gesture is.
"This is literally like a wrestling move. You know what I'm saying?
So I don't know. Maybe I should stop.
I don't know. Maybe I could do it like this (he did a tweaked version of the move at the podium).
Keep doing it. I don't know, man.
I don't know. It was something different for us, something we try to be unique with.
Just stopping the fun. So it is what it is."
Chase also drew a direct line to the NFL’s fine against 49ers fullback Kyle "Juice" Juszczyk, which ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported after a chugging motion in Sunday’s game against Miami. Schefter said the league hit Juszczyk with a $14,926 fine and wrote in the letter that his "imitation of chugging a beer constituted an offensive demonstration and could reasonably be construed as being in poor taste," adding that Juszczyk has already appealed.
For Chase, that’s exactly the kind of inconsistency players need to challenge. He said the NFLPA should step in and push for clearer standards on what crosses the line after touchdowns and other big plays.
"I think this is where the superstars have to get in with the NFLPA and fight for our money," Chase said on Thursday. "If he's getting fined for doing a drinking gesture, a juice gesture, then I mean, I'm getting fined for an elbow and doing the first down thing.
I can't really do much about it. We could complain.
I don't even think we can tweet about it because we get fined for tweeting about it. So, it's really like players have to keep their mouths shut and deal with it.
But we got to have a superstar in the NFLPA to do something about it. Help us along the way."
Chase later explained the celebration to Chad Johnson on his latest Chasing No. 1 Podcast, saying, "It's the people's elbow," Chase said. "Like The Rock from wrestling."
The fine adds to a growing list for Chase. The source noted it was his sixth fine, with previous penalties listed as: 9-11-22, unsportsmanlike conduct against Pittsburgh for double birds to Minkah, $23,870; 12-4-22, taunting vs KC, $15,914; 9-15-24, verbally abusing official in KC, $31,599; 10-6-24, obscene gesture vs. Balt, $19,697; and 11-16-25, spitting on Jalen Ramsey.
A highlight of the celebration also circulated, with Chase trying to keep up his Week 2 trips to the end zone on Sunday against Pittsburgh.
In Other News...
Reds Leak Reignites Debate Over Who Really Drove The Offseason
The Reds offseason is back under the microscope after a report from The Athletic described real tension between the front office and owner Bob Castellini over how free agency was handled. Cincinnati ended up bringing back Eugenio Surez on a one-year deal, but the larger picture is more revealing, especially after the club missed on re-signing Kyle Schwarber and watched another target, pitcher Nick Martinez, land with the Tampa Bay Rays instead.
What makes the story resonate in Cincinnati is the question it raises about who was actually driving the plan and what the club thought it needed most. The report suggests Nick Krall and the front office had a different preference than the one that won out, adding another layer to a winter that now looks less like a simple roster-building exercise and more like a case study in competing voices inside the organization. [Read more 🡒]
Reds Rallied Past Atlanta With One Response Fans Loved
An early hole against Atlanta could have made for a long night, but Cincinnati kept swinging and kept the pressure on until the game flipped in the sixth inning. Carlos Jorge, Elly De La Cruz and Hector Rodriguez all left their mark with home runs, giving the Reds the kind of offensive punch that has a way of changing the mood of a series in a hurry.
From there, the bullpen made sure the comeback stuck. Connor Phillips, Tejay Antone, Brock Burke and Emilio Pagan helped shut the Braves down over the final innings, turning a 4-1 deficit into a win and sealing the series victory in a game Cincinnati had to work to earn. [Read more 🡒]
Edwin Arroyo's Reds Future Suddenly Feels Far Less Certain
Edwin Arroyos place in the Reds long-term infield picture has become a lot murkier after a 2025 season that split his rsum in two very different directions. He was productive at Triple-A, but his major league stint never really got going, and over 50 games he posted a batting line that left more questions than answers as Cincinnati tried to sort out what it had in a young middle infielder.
The roster picture around him has only gotten tighter. With Juan Brito and Oswaldo Cabrera now added to the mix, the competition for middle infield spots looks even more crowded, and that matters for a club trying to balance present needs with future upside. If the Reds decide they need to move a young player to fill another hole, Arroyo could be one of the names they weigh as they look for bullpen help and other offseason fixes. [Read more 🡒]