Steelers' TJ Watt Hit With Ridiculous Fines After Brilliant Week 5 Performance

The Pittsburgh Steelers have been relying on their defense to find success in 2023. Their Week 5 matchup against the Baltimore Ravens had the same kind of offensive mediocrity that fans have been used to seeing throughout Matt Canada's tenure, but the defense came through again. The dynamic TJ Watt was a one-man wrecking crew, but it came at a personal financial cost to the All-Pro edge rusher.

Steelers' Watt Fined For Legal Play

The defense-fueled victory for the 2023 Steelers was marred by the expensive price tag that Watt is going to have to pay. The league saw two of his actions as being worthy of a fine, even though only one was actually on a level where a fine would be understandable or expected.

The first play that hit Watt in the wallet was when Lamar Jackson threw a pass that was intended for rookie receiver Zay Flowers. As was the pattern on that Sunday, the ball wasn't caught cleanly and bobbled around before Watt came in and ensured the pass was incomplete. The play was rapid-pace, with Watt flying into the play to break up a pass, but what ended up happening was Watt's arm caught Flowers in the head/neck area.

There was no flag thrown on the play, but in hindsight, the NFL believed that Watt somehow had time to change his trajectory or simply hope the ball wouldn't be caught. If that sounds ridiculous, it's because it is. Watt did what every defensive player should do, and broke up the pass, even though Flowers was already juggling it. 10 times out of 10, Watt is putting his arms in there and violently having a say in the matter.

Steelers Win, But Watt Is Served Two Fines

The legal, un-flagged hit to make sure the pass to Flowers fell incomplete will cost Watt $11,473. Unfortunately for Pittsburgh's former Defensive Player of the Year, that wasn't the only play that the league saw as being over the line.

With :19 seconds left in the game, the Ravens had a fourth-down attempt, and with the crowd at a deafening level, Watt did what he does best. Jackson went to step up in the pocket to try and avoid the Steelers' pressure, but it was unsuccessful. Baltimore's dual-threat quarterback was unable to escape the pocket as Watt caught him from behind and brought him down for the game-ending sack.

Watt, never one to shy away from his signature sack celebration, took it to another extreme as he removed his helmet to mark the occasion. While it made for a wonderful moment of passionate football, it didn't take away from the fact that Watt wasn't allowed to remove his helmet on the field. Where his first fine was simply a waste of money, this was one that he surely didn't mind shelling out for.

The league considered the helmet infraction worth $13,659, bringing Watt's grand and painful fine total for Week 5 of the 2023 season to $25,132. He is most likely going to appeal them, considering the Flowers hit was completely within the rules.

This isn't anything new to the Steelers, who were the most-fined team by the NFL during the 2022 season with a whopping $196,480 paid out. Legendary defender James Harrison was well-known for the fines he would get handed and his verbal barbs aimed at Roger Goodell. It seems that it doesn't matter what decade you play in if you are a linebacker in Pittsburgh, the NFL is going to find a way to fine you. Just do what Watt did, though, and make sure you've won the game before you perform that fine-inducing celebration.

Did TJ Watt deserve to be fined for the Zay Flowers hit? Comment below!

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