The Dallas Cowboys’ 37-20 Week 2 dominant victory over Washington was pure offensive firepower. Dak Prescott threw four touchdowns, connecting on a perfect 4-for-4 targets with tight end Jake Ferguson for two of them. But Ferguson’s second-quarter touchdown celebration immediately drew heat from the league office. After mime-puncturing a football like a can to “shotgun” a drink, ESPN’s Adam Schefter revealed the NFL fined Ferguson $13,611 for an “offensive demonstration” in “poor taste.” Word of the fine broke while Dallas prepared to travel to Rio de Janeiro for their Week 3 clash. But two days before the team even touched down in Brazil, Ferguson set the record straight on 105.3 The Fan

“I’m going to tell you right now, that was a Gatorade,” he shared on 105.3 The Fan podcast on September 24. “Shotgun to Gatorade. Right. I don’t know what other people thought it could have been because I may have got a letter in the mail. But it was Gatorade.”

His interview came some time before he flew to Brazil to face off against the Baltimore Ravens. The fine reflects the league’s standard enforcement of its conduct policy rather than a character judgment. Under Rule 12, Section 3, Article 1 of the NFL rulebook, Ferguson was penalized for unsportsmanlike conduct. In recent years, the league has actively cracked down on end-zone antics. After issuing a wave of fines in 2024 for “finger-gun” celebrations, officials are now targeting pantomimed chugging as part of a broader mission to rein in rowdy displays.

For Ferguson, however, this isn’t his first run-in with league fines:

• 2022: As a rookie, he was hit with a $4,895 penalty for jumping into the giant Salvation Army kettle to play “Whack-A-Mole” during Dallas’ Thanksgiving win over the Giants.
• December 2023: He was docked $5,812 after getting into an intense verbal exchange on the field with Seattle Seahawks safeties Jamal Adams and Quandre Diggs during Week 13.

While Ferguson anticipated another letter from the league office after his latest Week 2 antics, the post-game fallout took an unexpected turn for teammate CeeDee Lamb. Fresh off an explosive 8-catch, 153-yard, two-touchdown performance, Lamb was hit with a random drug test. Soon after, Ferguson was summoned for a urine sample of his own.

“Not right after (the game), but today I did,” he said. 

The NFL did not take into account the production he brought to the gridiron. Since joining Dallas as the No. 129 overall pick in the 2022 NFL Draft, Ferguson has developed into a steady contributor for the Cowboys. The fifth-year tight end has totaled 237 receptions, 2,078 receiving yards, and 17 touchdowns in his career, all with Dallas. Jerry Jones should be pleased with the production the 6-foot-5 tight end has provided. But this fine blemishes an otherwise spotless record of on-field production. 

Years later, Ferguson is now part of the NFL’s recent wave of player fines.

Jake Ferguson Joins Growing List of Players Fined for Celebrations

The NFL saw a quiet start to the season in Week 1, with no fines for offensive celebrations. Week 2 brought a string of controversial moments, and just one game into Week 3, the league has already begun issuing fines to players. Much like Ferguson, the NFL fined San Francisco 49ers fullback Kyle Juszczyk $14,926 on Thursday for “engaging in offensive demonstrations.”

“Your imitation of chugging a beer constituted an offensive demonstration and could reasonably be construed as being in poor taste,” the league wrote in the fine letter to Juszczyk, which was obtained by The Associated Press.

Juszczyk, who goes by “Juice,” has used variations of the celebration throughout his career in San Francisco when 49ers fans break into chants of his nickname after a catch or big play. Just like Ferguson claimed that he imitated opening a Gatorade,  Juszczyk, too, stood up to defend himself.

“I don’t even drink beer,” Juszczyk said. “I maybe drink like five times a year in the offseason.”

The same has been the case for Indianapolis Colts right guard Matt Goncalves. The incident occurred after Tyler Warren capped Indianapolis’ opening drive with a first-quarter touchdown at Arrowhead. Warren handed the ball to Goncalves, who mimicked cracking open a can before pretending to chug from it and spiking the ball. The officials let the celebration go without a flag.

It was days later that the league notified Goncalves that the “imitation of chugging a beer constituted an offensive demonstration…in poor taste.” The celebration ultimately earned him an $8,847 fine.

With these back-to-back cases, the NFL yet again proved why they are known as the “No Fun League.”