Bengals’ Chase Brown Accuses NFL Of Baiting Players To Celebrate With Salvation Army Kettle After Being Fined

Cincinnati Bengals running back Chase Brown scored a touchdown against the Dallas Cowboys at AT&T Stadium in Week 14 and celebrated like many before him have – by jumping into the Salvation Army kettle just outside of the end zone.

Two weeks later, Brown had learned that his celebration came with a consequence in the form of a $5,000 fine.

Not only does Brown disagree with the fine amount, but he took his grievances a step further and accused the league of actually baiting players to jump in the kettles in Dallas.

“I’m appealing it tomorrow,” Brown said on The Athletic’s “Scoop City” podcast Tuesday. “I would rather like cut it in half, and then we just donate it to The Salvation Army. They’re (the kettles) in every corner (of the field), there’s four like it’s bait. That’s bait, we’re getting set up.”

Scoring a touchdown in Dallas and then having the opportunity to jump into one of the infamous Salvation Army kettles is a legitimate once-in-a-career type of opportunity, therefore you can’t necessarily blame Brown.

However, the fine should have come as no surprise given that countless Cowboys players in the past including Ezekiel Elliott and Dak Prescott have been hit with fines over the years for jumping into the kettles themselves.

While the NFL has loosened up on celebration limitations, props are still a no-no, even if the prop is a giant kettle with the Salvation Army written across it bringing attention to the charity.

Brown and the Bengals beat the Cowboys 27-20, so at least he has a win plus a few great photos of him standing in the kettle to look back on as he tries to fight his fine.