NFL Confirms Stance on Trey Hendrickson Penalty After Week 1 Fines Reach Close to $200K

Trey Hendrickson didn’t exactly take the roughing the passer call at the Cleveland Browns game too seriously. Following the announcement of the penalty, the Cincinnati Bengals DE imitated himself crying at the referees who made the call. Naturally, one of the biggest questions throughout the remainder of the week was whether the gesture would age well or if Hendrickson would have to part with some cash in the form of a disciplinary fine. Now that Week 1 is done and dusted, the NFL has come out with the answer.

Turns out that the NFL decided not to fine Hendrickson for the roughing-the-passer penalty in the Bengals’ 17–16 victory against the Browns. Bengals reporter Jay Morrison shared on X: “Bengals defensive end Trey Hendrickson was not fined for his roughing the passer penalty in Cleveland. Browns WR Jerry Jeudy was fined $11,593 for taunting in the first quarter.” That’s meaningful for a player such as Hendrickson, who has been fined more than a few times in his career.

In his nine-year career, the All-Pro DE has had to part with cash a total of four times, having paid fines in each of his last three seasons. The most recent of those instances came in Week 5 of the 2024 season against Baltimore Ravens QB Lamar Jackson. As for the total amount, it adds up to a massive $72,883.

The penalty against the Browns came in the second quarter. Hendrickson avoided a chip block by rookie Dylan Sampson and battled right tackle Jack Conklin before reaching veteran QB Joe Flacco. When Flacco released a quick pass to Sampson, Hendrickson’s left hand grazed Flacco’s facemask. The officials penalized the play for roughing the passer, but the postgame assessment by the league determined the contact was not worth a fine.

There was one more notable penalty from the same game, but it came from the Browns. Browns wide receiver Jerry Jeudy was flagged with the only penalty of the evening for taunting in the late first quarter, seconds before Hendrickson’s penalty play. The NFL fined Jeudy $11,593 on Saturday for the infraction. But that wasn’t all — across the league, the NFL witnessed numerous penalties in Week 1.

NFL Week 1 fines add up to nearly $200K

The NFL announced that 17 players collectively were fined a total of $198,013 for a range of infractions. Eighteen leaguewide fines were issued. Including Detroit Lions safety Brian Branch‘s two different infractions for facemask and taunting on the same play. Five of the Week 1 fines were for taunting, each $11,593, while the biggest individual fine was for a hip-drop hit by Eagles cornerback Jakorian Bennett on Cowboys wide receiver CeeDee Lamb — $23,186.

Eagles defensive lineman Jalen Carter was not fined, as he was ejected for spitting on Dak Prescott before the first scrimmage play of the game. Moreover, the league ruled that the Cowboys game itself accounted for his one-game suspension. However, while he will be able to play against the Kansas City Chiefs, he will lose his $57,222 game check. 

Well, despite the mockery that Trey Hendrickson directed at the officials during the Browns game, it is perhaps safe to assume that he is glad that the joke was not on him at the end of the week. But then again, the season has only begun.