League issues fines, players push back
Ja'Marr Chase confirmed Thursday that the NFL fined him and Tee Higgins for a new "people’s elbow" celebration, an enforcement move that underscores the league’s continued scrutiny of on-field gestures.
"We got fined for the people’s elbow stuff," Chase said, acknowledging the discipline and signaling he and Higgins intend to challenge the punishment. The NFL’s decision to fine both players stands as the governing fact: the league disagreed with the gesture and imposed financial penalties.
Chase described the “people’s elbow” celebration as grabbing his right elbow with his left hand and flopping the right arm forward, and said they were simply creating a new way to signal a first down rather than the off-color gesture some on social media suggested. The league fined him and teammate Tee Higgins.
Origins of the move and teammate reaction
Brobible reported that the celebration was inspired by The Rock’s “People’s Elbow” and that Chase performed the touchdown variation during Cincinnati’s win over the Texans. The outlet also said Tee Higgins received "the letter" from the NFL and that the league has effectively shut down the celebration.
Higgins, who has been seen performing the routine alongside Chase, told media he felt social media exaggerated the gesture’s intent.
Chase’s disciplinary history and the dollars at stake
The fine for the "people’s elbow" lands against a substantial disciplinary ledger. Chase said he has been fined six times by the league; those penalties have totaled $613,162. His most severe recent punishment was a one-game suspension last season for spitting on Pittsburgh cornerback Jalen Ramsey, a suspension that cost him $507,156.
Other entries on Chase’s record include a $31,599 fine for verbally abusing an official in Kansas City in 2024, a $19,697 fine for an obscene gesture in a 2024 game against Baltimore, and a $15,914 fine for taunting against the Chiefs in 2022. The fines and the suspension illustrate how quickly on-field behavior can translate into significant financial consequences.
Chase said he hopes the latest punishments will prompt collective action. "I think this is where the superstars have to get in with the NFLPA and fight for our money because if he’s getting fined for doing a drinking gesture, a juice gesture and I’m getting fined for an elbow and doing the first down thing, I don’t know," he said, framing the fines as a labor issue the players’ union should address.
He also indicated he and Higgins plan to appeal the fines and suggested the celebration’s ambiguity could work in their favor. Chase did not commit to abandoning the gesture, at one point demonstrating a possible tweak to the move during his news conference.
Where enforcement fits in the broader pattern
The NFL’s discipline of Chase and Higgins follows a long pattern of the league policing expressive behavior that it deems unsportsmanlike or in violation of its celebration policy. The decision to fine two high-profile receivers for the same gesture sends a clear message about the league’s tolerance for coordinated celebrations that officials interpret as crossing the line.
For Chase, the latest fine arrives amid a string of prior penalties that have already had real financial impact. For the wider player corps, his remarks about involving the NFLPA highlight a recurring tension between the league’s rule enforcement and players’ desire to control how they engage with fans and celebrate on the field.
As Chase and Higgins move forward with appeals, the episode will be watched for how the NFL responds to player pushback and whether the union takes up the issue as part of broader talks on discipline and fines. For now, the league’s action has halted the "people’s elbow" routine in its tracks and added another chapter to the ongoing debate over celebration rules and their enforcement.
