In the history of the NFL there have been notable financial penalties for teams such as the New Orleans Saints for their reward program for players who injured opponents (also called the Bountygate scandal); that of the Washington Commanders for creating a hostile work environment; and that of the New England Patriots for Deflategate, where quarterback Tom Brady supposedly ordered the deliberate deflation of footballs during an AFC Championship game.
However, Deshaun Watson’s $5 million fine for violating NFL conduct guidelines is the largest in history for an individual. His penalty is so large that it also goes down as the second largest fine ever handed out in the league, whether to an entity or an individual.
Deshaun Watson will be suspended for 11 games and fined $5M, per multiple reports pic.twitter.com/4U2G7QY8Hb
Apart from Watson, here are the most significant fines for individual players, coaches or owners set by the NFL.
Eddie DeBartolo Jr.
The former owner of the San Francisco 49ers was fined $1 million by the league in 1999 after pleading guilty to one felony charge in a Louisiana gambling scandal.
Lewis is one of only eight running backs in NFL history to record a season with more than 2,000 rushing yards. However, his legacy was tarnished when he pleaded guilty to federal drug possession charges in 2004 and was fined $760,000 by the league.
Bill Belichick
In 2007 the head coach of the New England Patriots received what was until then the largest individual fine imposed by the NFL when he was punished with 500 thousand dollars due to Spygate, a scandal involving illegally videotaping the hand signals of their opponents. This remains the biggest fine for a head coach. For their part, the Pats were penalized $250,000 and lost a first-round pick.
Good morning! This is my first tweet in a week. Just wanted to remind you that Bill Belichick was given the largest fine in NFL history for cheating. And Patriots owner Robert Kraft was arrested as part of a prostitution and human trafficking sting. Have a great weekend!
The owner of the Indianapolis Colts was fined the same amount as the head coach of the Pats, but for different reasons. Irsay pleaded guilty to driving under the influence in 2014, and the NFL added a six-game suspension.
Shawn Rogers
The former Cleveland Browns defensive tackle was arrested in 2010 at Hopkins International Airport with a loaded gun and for this reason the league decided to punish him with a $400,000 penalty, the salary of one game.
Biggest fines in NFL history
Some of these individual fines also made it to the all-time list. Here’s a record of the biggest penalties meted out by the league.
As part of the settlement, Watson will have to pay a fine of $5 million. Not only is it the most money that any player has ever been fined, but it's also the second-largest overall fine in NFL history. To put the fine in perspective, no player had ever even been fined $1 million before Watson came along.
Outgoing Commanders owner Daniel Snyder received NFL-record $60M fine: What we know. Minutes after the NFL formally announced Josh Harris as the new owner of the Washington Commanders, replacing Dan Snyder, the league issued a second press release that amounted to a swift kick out the door for the outgoing owner.
Punishment: Coach Bill Belichick was fined $500,000, the largest penalty ever levied against a coach in the league's 87 years. The Patriots were fined $250,000 and had to give up a first-round draft pick. The Patriots would go 16-0 during the season, but lost to the Giants in Super Bowl XLII.
Deshaun Watson, the Cleveland Browns quarterback, will be suspended for 11 games and pay a record $5 million fine after the N.F.L. appealed what many thought was a lenient six-game suspension for accusations by more than two dozen women of sexual misconduct in massage appointments.
Cleveland Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson has been suspended for 11 games during the 2022 NFL season and fined $5 million for violating the NFL's personal-conduct policy per the terms of a settlement reached between the league and the NFL Players Association, the league announced on Thursday.
The fines collected are donated to the Professional Athletes Foundation to support Legends in need and the NFL Foundation to further support the health, safety and wellness of athletes across all levels, including youth football and the communities that support the game.
However, Boston Sports Journal's (BSJ) Greg Bedard has additionally indicated that Patriots head coach Bill Belichick has also been fined $50,000 for the team's transgression.
While Tyrone Swoopes won the reigning title of the lowest-paid NFL player in 2021, looking at the low end of league earners isn't as simple. NFL players face different minimum values that depend on their contract and designation as active or inactive players.
The NFL has fined the New Orleans Saints, several of the team's coaches and defensive end Cameron Jordan more than half a million dollars for faking an injury during the team's loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on "Monday Night Football," sources told ESPN's Adam Schefter on Saturday.
The Cincinnati Bengals' Joe Burrow leads the list at $55 million, with the Los Angeles Chargers' Justin Herbert second at $52.5 million per year, followed by the Baltimore Ravens' Lamar Jackson at $52 million per year.
The NFL and Watson eventually settled on an 11-game suspension. Watson was also fined $5 million and forced to enter a mandatory treatment program. The new policy now includes sexual assault “involving threats or coercion” to the list of offenses that carry stricter punishment.
The cases have settled, but the amounts are confidential. We speculate here on the terms of the Watson settlement agreement with these women. Our estimated settlement value for the Deshaun Watson civil lawsuits is between $1.5 to $2.5 million for each plaintiff for a total of $33-55 million.
Watson has been penalized for a “violent gesture during a celebration” in the end zone ... for a "gun-themed'' act. ... Which looked something like this ... The two other penalties were for a pair of face mask violations, and when the NFL adds it all up, Watson, 28, received fines totaling $35,513 for his actions.
The NFL issued Buccaneers quarterback Tom Brady a $16,444 fine for unnecessary roughness during Monday's wild-card round playoff game against the Cowboys, according to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport.
The NFL fined Brady $11,139 for attempting to kick Falcons defensive tackle Grady Jarrett as he was getting up after sacking Brady in the fourth quarter of their Week 5 game, NFL Network Insider Tom Pelissero reported.
The virality of the image of Brady sweeping reached the eyes of the NFL, which announced a fine for Brady of $16,444 for "unnecessary roughness for attempting to trip Cowboys safety Malik Hooker." With Brady's millions, it's not something that will bother him, but even retirement won't save him from having to pay it.
Introduction: My name is Nicola Considine CPA, I am a determined, witty, powerful, brainy, open, smiling, proud person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
We notice you're using an ad blocker
Without advertising income, we can't keep making this site awesome for you.
