Saints QB Derek Carr fined for TD celebration

Well, that’s no fun. After making waves this weekend with some of the better quarterback play around the NFL, New Orleans Saints quarterback Derek Carr is going to be out a little bit of cash after his Week 2 touchdown celebration.

After a quarterback sneak landed him in the endzone, Carr stood up and delivered a Michael Jackson dance celebration. Though he was not flagged for it on the field, per NBC Sports, he was later fined $14,000.

add another drive and another touchdown please #EasyToCelebrate | @budlight https://t.co/3fZoij8bFd pic.twitter.com/Dwk42vHahD

— New Orleans Saints (@Saints) September 15, 2024

The celebration was likely deemed inappropriate due to the gesture including Carr grabbing his crotch, but to fine someone for imitating a pop idol feels a little sideways.

As NBC Sports laid out, the NFL did the same to former Seattle Seahawks running back Marshawn Lynch, who was not impersonating Michael Jackson. But the league also used the same celebration for which Lynch was fined in their own promotional materials.

They did something similar after Alvin Kamara’s 6-rushing touchdown Christmas Day game against the Minnesota Vikings in 2020. The league then promptly displayed the elf-themed cleats for which he was fined in the NFL Hall of Fame after the record-setting performance.

Never forget when the NFL fined Kamara $5k for wearing Christmas theme cleats and then asked for them to put in the hall of fame after his 6 TDs pic.twitter.com/zYtyJ9gvrd

— Joe Horns Cell Phone (@JoeHornsPhone) December 21, 2023

This does not seem surprising considering the NFL’s typical approach to general joy. However, it will be interesting to see if Carr responds with a different Michael Jackson dance move the next time he finds himself in the endzone.