Quay Walker and the Stupidity of the NFL

The NFL made a fine mess out of its punishment for Quay Walker and Jamaal Williams.

Author:
Bill Huber
Updated:
Jan 15, 2023 10:08 AM EST
Original:
Jan 15, 2023

In this story:

GREEN BAY, Wis. – The NFL is also known as the No Fun League. Add Nonsensical Fines League to the vernacular.

According to a league source, Green Bay Packers linebacker Quay Walker was fined $13,261 for shoving a Detroit Lions physician midway through the fourth quarter of the season-ending loss on Jan. 8.

Walker was ejected from the game – his second hot-headed ejection of the season after shoving an out-of-uniform member of the Buffalo Bills’ practice squad at midseason.

Meanwhile, Detroit Lions running back Jamaal Williams was fined $18,566 for his hip-swiveling touchdown celebrations. Williams also was a second-time offender of the NFL’s crackdown on celebrations.

No doubt somebody found Williams’ touchdown dances to be offensive – though that person must turn a blind eye to some of the commercials shown during the telecasts. What’s really offensive, though, is the NFL handing out a bigger fine over a semi-objectionable dance than a player shoving a member of a training staff who was tending to a player who had just been hit in the head.

In fact, it was a bit of a surprise that Walker wasn’t suspended after becoming the first NFL player to be ejected twice in a season since at least 2000, according to ESPN Stats & Info.

“I don’t think he has a problem, no,” general manager Brian Gutekunst said on Friday. “Certainly, he can’t do that. That’s unacceptable and he knows that. We love Quay. We love everything he’s bringing to our squad right now.

“For a rookie to come in and do what he did, not only on the field but I think he’s done some good things, leadership-wise. He has a really bright future ahead of him. I’m excited for him. Those are things he’s going to have to clean up. He’s got a lot of energy and passion on the field and those were reactionary things. He’s got to learn to grow from that and I think he will.”

Walker called the Detroit doctor to apologize.

“The thing I was most proud about, even though that was a big mistake on his part, he responded the way he should respond,” Gutekunst said. “That’s the man. That’s who he is. Again, that can’t happen, but I was proud of the way he responded to it.”

Also on the play, defensive tackle Devonte Wyatt walked toward that same Lions doctor and bumped into him but was not fined. The play started when defensive tackle Jarran Reed put a forearm into the helmet of Lions running back D’Andre Swift, which resulted in Swift being shaken up and the training staff coming to his aid. Reed was not fined.