New Orleans Saints quarterback Derek Carr was fined $14,000 for his touchdown celebration late in the second quarter of Sunday’s win over the Dallas Cowboys.
After Carr executed a perfect quarterback sneak into the end zone at AT&T Stadium, the early-season NFL MVP candidate proved he’s a Michael Jackson fan.
Carr used one of the “King of Pop’s” signature dance moves, a leg kick and a crotch grab, the latter of which the NFL deemed inappropriate.
Carr was not penalized for unsportsmanlike conduct during the game; the NFL reviewed the footage and decided his celebration warranted a fine.
Jackson’s dance moves have inspired a generation, and Carr is… far from the first athlete to use them on the field.
NFL fined Derek Carr $14,000 for Michael Jackson-inspired celebration
The crotch grab against the Cowboys was too much for the NFL to bear without a fine.
Carr signed a four-year, $150 million contract with the Saints in 2023, so paying a $14,000 fine won’t faze him, even if he doesn’t agree with the principle.
Carr might have plenty of opportunities to do the moonwalk or side-shuffle from “Bad” in other games. Fortunately, Jackson has plenty of familiar dance moves that the NFL shouldn’t consider 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 was not punished in any way, as Mayfield was on the cusp of winning the Heisman Trophy. Carr did not use his crotch grab as a taunt to the Cowboys players.
Several people on social media have once again called the NFL the “No Fun League” after fining Carr for the celebration.
The next chance for Carr to make a celebratory move will likely come Sunday when the Saints host the Eagles.