Travis Kelce might brace a fine due to his celebration goalpost dunk, which is banned by the league.
Travis Kelce Violated the NFL’s “Excessive Celebrations” Rule With His Dunk After the Chiefs’ Historic Win Over the Steelers!
The NFL is popular not just for its iconic and historic moments but also for its penalties and obscure rules.
While the December 25th Kansas City Chiefs vs. Pittsburgh Steelers game was iconic, speculation about Travis Kelce receiving a fine for his dunk celebration is also gaining public attention.
Kelce and the Chiefs lit up this year’s Christmas Day with their biggest win, defeating the Steelers 29-10 for their sixth straight victory.
Kelce’s 77th career receiving touchdown set the Chiefs’ record, surpassing Tony Gonzalez in his 12th NFL season.
Kelce achieved his 77th career receiving touchdown, breaking the Chiefs’ record previously held by Tony Gonzalez during his 12th NFL season.
The Chiefs’ tight end, Travis, honored Gonzalez by emulating his signature dunk over the goalpost after setting the Chiefs’ touchdown record in the fourth quarter.
The moment was indeed nostalgic. While fans thought Kelce’s tribute was a perfect homage to the Hall of Famer, the referee and league had a different opinion.
The officials on the field imposed an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty on the Chief’s tight end for this behavior.
@thefinal_official Travis Kelce dunks the ball to honor Chiefs legend Tony Gonzalez 🙌 #traviskelce #tonygonzalez #chiefs #steelers #nfl ♬ Jingle Bell Rock – Bobby Helms
After news of Travis’s fine surfaced, many shared their lighthearted opinions on the decision, writing,
“Why? Just why is that considered unnecessary roughness or unsportsmanlike conduct? This rule is so stupid. But someone’s pockets are getting lined with the fines.”
@BagDaisy28
“That’s kind of a steep fine for something that hurt no one. Where does that money even go?? I would hope they give it to a charity or something. Doesn’t the NFL make enough money?”
@Kcbikeguy
“Lol the dunk on the goalpost is hilarious. If you dont want that to happen don’t let him score.”
@MROD2
“Time to change the rule. Nothing disrespectful about it & there was a reason for doing it. NFL should give him a warning not a fine. Or donate money to children’s charity.”
@SB55
Tony Gonzalez and Amazon Prime Team Discussed Kelce Surpassing Chiefs Record Weeks Before It Happened!
A few weeks before Kelce actually broke the record, Gonzalez and the Amazon Prime team had discussed the possibility of Kelce surpassing his Chiefs record.
During an NFL on Prime Video broadcast in November 2024, Gonzalez praised Kelce, calling him one of the greatest tight ends of all time and predicting that Kelce would break his record.
Gonzalez sweetened the deal by promising to pay the fee if Kelce celebrated with his infamous dunk when the big time arrived. No doubt he was hoping for some nostalgia.
Therefore, following the spectacular victory on December 25, Gonzalez turned to social media to praise the tight end.
Kelce acknowledged the legend and stated he expects support from Gonzalez if he receives a fine.
The NFL has not confirmed the fine for Kelce’s unsportsmanlike conduct penalty. However, Kelce is bracing for some punishment.
You know I had to show love to the greatest of all time!! 🙌🏻🤟🏻 you did mention you’d help me with the fine tho 🤑😂👀
— Travis Kelce (@tkelce) December 25, 2024
The NFL outlawed goalpost dunks in 2014, citing safety concerns and game delays.
Dunking over the goalpost occasionally caused the crossbar to become misaligned or ruined. Hence, this action forced officials to stop the game to repair it.
A prominent occurrence occurred in 2013 when New Orleans Saints tight end Jimmy Graham dunked over the goalpost, forcing it to tilt and delaying the game by several minutes.
Moreover, this ban is part of the NFL’s broader policy against “excessive celebrations.” This rule attempts to keep the game running smoothly, mitigating disruptions caused by extravagant or possibly harmful activities.
Therefore, players who now dunk after scoring a touchdown risk being fined for unnecessary conduct and facing a significant punishment.
While the fine is not confirmed, the danger of a consequence remains, given the league’s history of penalizing such behavior.
In Case You Didn’t Know
- While Travis Kelce’s father, Ed Kelce, is a former sales representative in the steel industry, his mother, Donna, was a bank executive.
- His older brother, Jason, was a center for the Philadelphia Eagles for 13 seasons.
- Kelce is currently dating famous pop singer Talyor Swift.
