Ja’Marr Chase turned a quiet Week 1 into a two-touchdown night in Houston. Then the NFL sent him a bill for how he celebrated one of them.
Chase finished with seven catches for 75 yards and two scores in Cincinnati’s 20-6 win over the Texans on Sept. 20. The 32-yard grab that opened the scoring — a toe-tap near the pylon after he lost his balance, got tangled with Derek Stingley Jr., located the ball and got both feet down — is the one still circulating. Head coach Zac Taylor said he had watched the replay often. “It’s impressive, for him to slightly lose his balance there, kind of get tangled up and then be able to torque, locate the ball, get two feet in, really impressive,” Taylor said in comments carried by WLWT.
Joe Burrow called it unbelievable from his angle on the field. Chase himself downplayed the ranking. “Honestly, I don’t know. I’m not gonna say it’s new for me, but it’s not somewhere I was at past couple years,” he said. “I don’t really think about it that much,” a line first detailed on cleveland.com.
The celebration that followed is what cost him. Chase and Tee Higgins used a gesture the league labeled an offensive or unsportsmanlike demonstration. Chase described it as a version of The Rock’s People’s Elbow. The NFL fined him twice at $14,926 per instance, a figure first detailed by The Athletic. Higgins was fined four times for the same motion after first-down catches. Combined the pair owed $89,556.
Chase said he will appeal. He also used the moment to push the players’ union. Ari Meirov posted the comments on X: “This is where the superstars have to get in with NFLPA and fight for our money. I’m getting fined for an elbow. … It’s a wrestling move.”
#Bengals WR Ja'Marr Chase says the NFL fined him this week for doing the "peoples elbow" after his TD on Sunday.
"This is where the superstars have to get in with NFLPA and fight for our money. I'm getting fined for an elbow. … It's a wresting move."pic.twitter.com/KWdzPFgxUq
— Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) September 24, 2026
Those remarks, also carried by CBS Sports, referenced other Week 2 celebration fines, including a juice gesture by 49ers fullback Kyle Juszczyk. Chase argued the league is simply stopping the fun and that players have little recourse short of a high-profile NFLPA voice.
The timing lands two days before Cincinnati visits Pittsburgh. The Bengals are 2-0 after a 33-27 Week 1 win over Tampa Bay in which Chase managed only two catches for 12 yards. The Steelers present the first AFC North test, and Chase already has Joey Porter Jr. on his mind.
Porter has not played this season. The Steelers have listed him as limited with a conditioning designation after earlier back-injury notations. Chase addressed the uncertainty on his “Chasing No. 1” podcast. “I don’t know what he’s got going on,” Chase said. “But I’m sure he wants to play us. I ain’t gonna lie. I’m already knowing he wants to play us. He’s probably going to make a decision by game time. If not, then he’s gonna see us around the second game.” The comments were first highlighted by Steelers Depot and similar Steelers-site coverage.
The two know each other from years of division meetings. Porter’s length and physicality have given Chase problems in the past. If the cornerback is active Sunday at 1 p.m. ET, Cincinnati will have to account for him on the boundary while still featuring both Chase and Higgins. If he sits, the matchup still carries the usual AFC North edge.
| Week | Opponent | Rec | Yds | TD |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Buccaneers | 2 | 12 | 0 |
| 2 | Texans | 7 | 75 | 2 |
Chase’s bounce-back was scheme as much as talent. Burrow threw it high and trusted him to win the 50-50. The offensive line gave him time. The Texans’ pass rush never forced a hurried throw on that snap. That same trust will be tested in Pittsburgh, where the Steelers’ front can collapse pockets and their secondary, with or without Porter, will try to take away the deep boundary.
The fine is a sideshow until the appeal is heard. The People’s Elbow debate will fade. The next meeting with Porter will not. Chase has already said he expects the corner to be there if he can. The Bengals will find out Sunday whether that prediction holds.
