Browns QB Deshaun Watson fined $35,513 for unsportsmanlike conduct, two unnecessary roughness violations in loss to Steelers
Cleveland Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson was fined a total of $35,513 for unsportsmanlike conduct and two unnecessary roughness violations during last Monday night’s 26-22 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers, the league announced on Saturday.
Watson was fined $13,659 for unsportsmanlike conduct and $10,927 twice for two separate unnecessary roughness penalties during the Week 2 game.
NFL Network Insider Tom Pelissero reported that Watson’s unsportsmanlike conduct fine was for a gun-themed celebration in the third quarter after Cleveland scored a touchdown.
Browns tight end David Njoku, who was seen doing the same celebration with Watson, was also fined $13,659 by the league for unsportsmanlike conduct, Pelissero reported.
Watson’s two fines for unnecessary roughness were for separate facemask penalties that came in the third and fourth quarters of Monday night’s road loss.
Following the first unnecessary roughness penalty he incurred in the third quarter, Watson appeared to make contact with an official while arguing the flag, but the NFL on Tuesday announced that the contact did not warrant a punishment.
“Officials are called upon to maintain order on the field, and sometimes while performing those duties, there is inadvertent contact between players and officials,” the league said in a statement on Tuesday. “In this instance, in their judgment, the contact did not rise to the level of a foul.”
