NFL fines T.J. Watt for 2 incidents from Steelers-Ravens game

TJ Watt now knows that an excessive celebration will impact his bank account. On Saturday, the NFL fined the Steelers linebacker for two separate incidents from last Sunday’s win over the Ravens.

According to Tom Pelissero with NFL Network, the first offense involved Watt taking off his helmet following his sack of Lamar Jackson that clinched the victory. The second fine was for unnecessary roughness for a hit Watt made on Baltimore receiver Zay Flowers.

The fines totaled $25,132.

The NFL fined #Steelers star T.J. Watt $25,132 for unsportsmanlike conduct — removing his helmet after a game-sealing sack of Lamar Jackson — and unnecessary roughness for a hit on Zay Flowers in last week’s win over the #Ravens. pic.twitter.com/41FfqtCnll

— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) October 14, 2023

The hit in question involving Flowers came when TJ Watt was trying to knock the ball away. Here’s video of the infraction.

The NFL fined Steelers OLB T.J. Watt $11,473 for punching Ravens WR Zay Flowers in the face in an attempt to jar the ball loose pic.twitter.com/HOrTbFlKTm

— Jonathan Jones (@jjones9) October 14, 2023

Watt dislocated his finger in Steelers-Ravens game

The Steelers are enjoying a bye week. And that’s a good thing for Watt. The NFL Network reported that Watt dislocated his finger last Sunday. But Watt popped it back into place and kept playing. The dislocation damaged several ligaments in his finger. If the damage was severe enough, he may need surgery after the season ends.

Pittsburgh is a very inconsistent 3-2 for the season. The offense is mostly stalled, although it did just enough to beat the Ravens in a 17-10 victory. Kenny Pickett threw a 41-yard touchdown pass to George Pickens with 1 minute, 17 seconds to go to give the Steelers the thrilling win. It also was the first touchdown the Steelers had scored in nine quarters.

“We found a way to win down the stretch,” Pickett said. “I think that’s all that matters. You know, we’re nowhere near as good as we need to be.”

Meanwhile, Watt and his fellow defenders rank as only the 30th best in the NFL in total defense. But they are playmakers. The defense has forced 11 turnovers, which is second best in the league. The Steelers also have sacked the quarterback 17 times in five games. And that’s where Watt comes in. He has eight of the sacks, a total that tops the league. He’s two sacks ahead of Khalil Mack (Chargers), Josh Allen (Jaguars), Trey Hendrickson (Bengals) and Danielle Hunter (Vikings).

The Steelers return to action, Oct. 22, against the Rams at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles.