Patrick Mahomes Faces NFL Fine Over 'Violent Gesture' In Bills Game

The Kansas City Chiefs are putting their Week 11 loss to the Buffalo Bills behind them, but the defeat has taken on new controversy as reports emerge that quarterback Patrick Mahomes has been fined.

The NFL has been tightening its rules on celebrations resembling gun gestures, but it seems Patrick Mahomes didn’t get the message. Numerous players have faced penalties and fines for using similar celebrations, often intended innocently, after achieving first downs.

Patrick Mahomes is the latest to find himself in hot water after using a similar gesture to celebrate a touchdown, and it came with a hefty price tag.

According to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero, Mahomes received a $14,069 fine for unsportsmanlike conduct, specifically for a "violent gesture" during his touchdown celebration in the fourth quarter of the game. Cameras captured Mahomes making a pointing gesture after connecting with Noah Gray for a touchdown pass.

While the fine is sparking debate among football fans—many viewing the gesture as harmless—the league saw it differently. Interestingly, this isn’t Mahomes’ first fine against Buffalo. Last season, he was penalized $50,000 for “verbally abusing” officials during a postgame press conference after a loss to the Bills.

Last month, the NFL expressed growing "concern" over the frequency of "gun-related" celebrations, prompting the implementation of stricter penalties. The league has issued 17 fines for "obscene gestures" so far this season—a sharp contrast to 2023, which saw no such fines.

"[The rule] has been in the books for years, and it hasn't really surfaced… haven't really noticed it that much until this year," one league executive told CBS Sports. "Now it's almost an epidemic of them."

"We don’t think it’s appropriate.… It sends the wrong message," NFL commissioner Roger Goodell added.

CBS Sports' Jonathan Jones reported that NFL executives have been “puzzled” by the rise of gun-related celebrations throughout the league and the “apparent ineffectiveness of fines and penalties for such celebrations.”

Jones pointed out that the policy has been outlined in the players' manual for years. In Week 2, Falcons WR Drake London was fined $14,069 for “appearing to shoot a large gun into the crowd following a game-winning touchdown.”

Giants WR Malik Nabers received two fines for “gun celebrations within two game minutes of each other” in Week 3. Jets WR Allen Lazard was also fined $14,069 for “shooting finger guns after a first down” in Week 4.

Finally, Bengals WR Ja'Marr Chase was fined $19,697 for “appearing to unholster a gun in a touchdown celebration” in Week 5.

During an episode of "New Heights," Travis Kelce took aim at the NFL, criticizing the league, while his brother Jason Kelce called it the "no-fun league."

"I know we don't want this to be like, 'Oh, NFL players shooting guns,'" Travis said. "I get that. But this is so subtle. Unless you're, like, doing it at a defender, it shouldn't be a flag. If you want to fine the guy after the game for doing it, whatever, that's up to the NFL for wanting to protect their league."

He later called it "absolutely ridiculous" that a "guy is on the ground shooting pointing fingers for getting a first down."

"I just think it's too much, man. It's too much and it's affecting the game in the wrong way," he added. "I get the guy's got to play by the rules and stuff like that. I don't want to get the NFL on my ass for saying something. But I just think this is too far."

According to the NFL, "Players subject to accountability measures receive a letter informing them of what they did, a video of the play in question, why they are being fined and how much it will cost them. They also receive information on how to appeal the fine. If they choose not to appeal, the fine is withheld from their next game check."

The fines are donated to the Professional Athletes Foundation to assist Legends in need, as well as to the NFL Foundation, which uses the funds to promote the health, safety, and wellness of athletes at all levels, including youth football, and to support the communities that back the sport.