New Orleans Saints quarterback Derek Carr has been fined $14,000 for his touchdown celebration at the end of the second quarter from Sunday’s win over the Dallas Cowboys.
After Carr ran the quarterback sneak to perfection to get into the end zone at AT&T Stadium, the early-season NFL MVP candidate showed he’s a fan of Michael Jackson.
Carr pulled out one of the signature dance moves from the ‘King of Pop’, a leg kick and a crotch grab. It is the latter that the NFL saw as inappropriate.
Carr was not penalized for unsportsmanlike conduct during the game, with the NFL reviewing the footage and deciding his celebration was fine-worthy.
Jackson’s dance moves have inspired a generation, with Carr being far from the first athlete to use them on the field.
Derek Carr has been fined $14K by the NFL for his Michael Jackson-inspired celebration
The crotch-grab against the Cowboys was too much for the NFL to witness without a fine
In 2023, Carr signed a 4-year, $150million contract with the Saints, so paying a $14,000 fine won’t make him flinch, even if he disagrees with the principle.
Carr may have many opportunities to bust out the moonwalk or do the side-shuffle from ‘Bad’ in other games. Luckily, Jackson has plenty of well-known dance moves the NFL should not find offensive.
In 2017, then-Oklahoma quarterback Baker Mayfield was forced to apologize for grabbing his crotch on the sideline to taunt Kansas players.
That crotch-grab did not come with any punishment with Mayfield about to win the Heisman Trophy. Carr did not use his crotch-grab as a taunt to Cowboys players.
Multiple people on social media have again deemed the NFL the ‘No Fun League’ after fining Carr for the celebration.
The next chance for Carr to pull out a celebratory move will likely come on Sunday, when the Saints host the Eagles.
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