A pass rusher coming off the edge can have his route disrupted by a tight end chipping him before moving on to another assignment. A guard can offer extra help, too, forcing the defender to fight through contact while the quarterback gets more time to throw. For Bradley Chubb, those extra blocks were part of the battle against the Rams.

After Buffalo’s 37-34 overtime win, Chubb recalled the exchange that followed a jersey swap between Rams tackle Alaric Jackson and Bills defensive tackle Deone Walker. Chubb said he told Jackson that the Rams’ tight end and guard wouldn’t save him the next time they met. Jackson asked what he had said, Chubb recounted, before the exchange escalated.

 The NFL has now fined Chubb $14,329 for taunting during overtime, according to its Week 5 accountability report. James Cook and Chauncey Gardner-Johnson were also fined for separate violations, while Jackson’s suspension for punching Chubb after the game was reduced from two games to one on appeal.

The NFL initially suspended Jackson for two games under Rule 12, Section 3, Article 1, which covers conduct contrary to the generally understood principles of sportsmanship. Hall of Fame linebacker Derrick Brooks, jointly appointed by the NFL and NFL Players Association, heard Jackson’s appeal and reduced the suspension to one game.

Jackson will miss the Rams’ Week 6 matchup against the Arizona Cardinals and is eligible to return to the active roster on October 19, ahead of the team’s October 25 game against the Las Vegas Raiders. The one-game suspension costs him $934,555 in salary, based on his $16.822 million annual salary.

Rams coach Sean McVay was blunt about the incident. “Have to make better decisions than that,” he said Tuesday.

David Quessenberry is set to replace Jackson at left tackle against Arizona. The veteran’s last start came in Week 18 of the 2023 season with the Minnesota Vikings. He played 13 games for the Rams last season, all on special teams, before being called into the starting lineup.

“This is kind of why I’m here, for when things like this happen,” Quessenberry said Thursday. “So I’m ready to go. This is what I’ve worked for. I’ve played this position my whole life, and go out there on Sunday and play ball. So I’m fired up.”

Chubb, meanwhile, addressed the confrontation with reporters Wednesday at the Bills’ practice facility in Irvine, California. He acknowledged initiating the exchange but denied making a remark about Jackson’s mother.

“I’ll tell you exactly what I said,” Chubb said. “I’ve heard I was talking about his mom. That’s not true at all. I said, ‘We’re gonna see y’all’s a– again, and when we see you again, all that chipping ain’t gonna save you. That tight end and guard is not going to save you.’ He said, ‘What’d you say?’ I said, ‘That chip’s not gonna save you. The guard’s not gonna save you.’ And then boom.”

The fine also adds to Chubb’s disciplinary record this season. The NFL fined him $17,911 in Week 3 for a late hit on Los Angeles Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert. The Week 5 fine, however, is listed specifically as taunting, with the violation recorded at the two-minute mark of overtime. The league’s report does not identify the target of that taunt in its entry, so the overtime fine should be distinguished from Jackson’s later punch.

2 Bills Players Fined for Unnecessary Roughness vs. Rams

Cook and Gardner-Johnson received separate fines for plays during the game, rather than for the postgame confrontation. The NFL’s report classifies both violations as unnecessary roughness.

Running back James Cook was fined $21,167 for use of the helmet. The violation occurred at 2:25 of the first quarter, when Cook had picked up a first down and lowered his helmet into Rams safety Kamren Kinchens while trying to gain extra yards. No flag was thrown on the play, but the NFL reviews game footage for potential violations and can issue fines after the game.

Cook also had two fumbles (one lost) against Los Angeles, including one in overtime that gave the Rams another possession. Buffalo escaped when Greg Rousseau blocked Harrison Mevis’ 48-yard field-goal attempt. Those turnovers added to Cook’s difficult night, but they were separate from the helmet violation that led to his fine. He still finished with 111 rushing yards and two touchdowns on 25 carries.

Safety Chauncey Gardner-Johnson was fined $11,194 for striking, kicking or kneeing. The NFL logged the violation at 8:02 of the fourth quarter, during a play in which Rams running back Kyren Williams lost a yard on second-and-4. The officials did not flag the play during the game.

Neither Cook nor Gardner-Johnson was suspended, but both fines show that the NFL’s disciplinary review extends beyond the calls made during a game. Under the league’s fines and appeals policy, officials can review footage after a game and penalize conduct that went unflagged. For Buffalo, the Week 5 report brought three separate fines, while Jackson’s suspension left the Rams without their starting left tackle against Arizona.