League issues Week 4 punishments
The NFL has fined Cleveland Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson $14,926 for unsportsmanlike conduct related to an on-field celebration during the team's Week 4 win over the Pittsburgh Steelers. Running back Quinshon Judkins was also fined for the same incident, the league's Week 4 disciplinary releases show.
The penalties were part of the league’s official list of punishments tied to actions during Week 4 games. The fines were announced ahead of Cleveland’s upcoming game against the New York Jets.
What happened on the field
The fines stem from a second-quarter celebration — at 8:33 of that quarter — in which Watson and Judkins appeared to simulate smoking. The NFL flagged the actions as illegal celebrations and vulgar acts, classifying them as unsportsmanlike conduct.
The NFL has released its Week 4 punishments, and the league’s dispositions show Deshaun Watson and Quinshon Judkins were among four Browns players fined for on-field conduct in the team’s game against the Pittsburgh Steelers. Watson was fined $14,926 for unsportsmanlike conduct tied to an illegal celebration and a vulgar act in the second quarter, while Judkins was fined $14,397; both were penalized for a celebration in which they appeared to act as if they were smoking.
Immediate context and consequences
The fine against Watson carries an exact dollar amount in the NFL's disciplinary notice: $14,926. The disciplinary determination lists the conduct as an illegal celebration and cites vulgar behavior as the basis for the unsportsmanlike conduct designation.
Quinshon Judkins, listed as a running back on the Browns' roster, was also disciplined by the league for participating in the same celebration. The NFL’s Week 4 release groups those fines alongside other player punishments from the Steelers game.
The league has clear rules governing celebrations and player conduct; the fines issued here reflect the NFL enforcing those policies following the Week 4 matchup. Beyond the monetary penalties, the notices reinforce that certain on-field gestures and actions can draw formal discipline.
