The NFL fined Chicago Bears linebacker Cassius Marsh $5,972 for unsportsmanlike conduct, following his taunting penalty in Week 9, NFL.com reported Saturday.
The report said Marsh plans to appeal the fine.
He was flagged in the fourth quarter of the Bears’ 29-27 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers on Monday. After a sack of Ben Roethlisberger, he celebrated with a karate-style kick, then walked toward the bench of the Steelers — the team that released him before the season started. Referee Tony Corrente threw his flag at that point.
Of the flag, Corrente said, “I saw the player, after he made a big play, run toward the bench area of the Pittsburgh Steelers and posture in such a way that I felt he was taunting them.”
Players and fans criticized the call against Marsh, which the NFL defended this week, culminating with the fine.
–Field Level Media