NFL fines Tyrique Stevenson but not Jameson Williams for their run-in on Thanksgiving

On Thanksgiving, Lions wide receiver Jameson Williams got a 15-yard penalty for throwing the ball in Bears defensive back Tyrique Stevenson’s face on the sideline. But after the NFL’s disciplinary office looked at the play closely, it was Stevenson, not Williams, who was fined.

Stevenson got a $19,697 fine, while Williams got no fine.

Why fine the player who took the football to the face, and not the player who threw it? Because a close look at the video shows that after Williams was pushed out of bounds, Stevenson, who was standing on the Bears’ sideline, stuck his foot out to trip Williams. Neither the officials nor the CBS broadcast noticed it at the time, but Stevenson’s action precipitated Williams’ reaction.

Stevenson is actually lucky he didn’t get a steeper fine; tripping a player out of bounds isn’t just unsportsmanlike but could also cause an injury. The league’s disciplinary office recognized that Stevenson, not Williams, was in the wrong.