The National Football League (NFL) has decided not to impose fines on the Dallas Cowboys for their recent Thanksgiving-themed touchdown celebrations. In a move that deviated from the norm, the Cowboys players indulged in an early turkey feast during their emphatic 45-10 win over the Washington Commanders on November 23.
As the game neared its conclusion, with just five minutes left on the clock, the Cowboys executed a celebration that caught everyone's attention. Following a touchdown in the final quarter, players rushed to the end zone where Salvation Army kettles had been strategically placed, retrieving foil-wrapped turkey legs they had stashed there earlier. This premeditated act of festivity broke away from the traditional post-game turkey leg enjoyment typically broadcasted on national television.
Tony Romo, CBS analyst and former quarterback for the Cowboys, expressed his amusement at the unconventional celebration, noting it was the first instance he'd witnessed such antics before the end of a game. Sideline reporter Tracy Wolfson revealed that the Cowboys had planned this celebration as the fourth quarter began, which seemed to energize the team further as they scored another touchdown, cementing their victory.
Key figures such as quarterback Dak Prescott, head coach Mike McCarthy, and team owner Jerry Jones were said to be involved in orchestrating the celebration. Prescott was later seen savoring a turkey leg on the sidelines while McCarthy appeared entertained by the proceedings.
A Surprising Leniency
The NFL's decision to refrain from issuing fines in this instance came as a surprise to many, given the league's history of strictly penalizing teams for elaborate or unauthorized post-touchdown celebrations. The league, often humorously dubbed the 'No Fun League,' has chosen to view the Cowboys' Thanksgiving celebration as an exception to its usual rules.
This leniency is particularly unexpected because the Cowboys have faced penalties for similar actions in the past. In 2016, Ezekiel Elliott, then a running back for the Cowboys, leaped into a Salvation Army kettle but avoided a fine. However, in 2018, he was fined $13,369 for repeating the act. Similarly, both Elliott and Prescott were fined $13,261 each for unsportsmanlike conduct after using the kettle as a prop during a touchdown celebration in a game against the Indianapolis Colts in 2022.
In that same 2022 game, a group of the team’s tight ends were collectively fined $27,094 for engaging in a mock game of Whac-A-Mole around the kettle following a touchdown on Thanksgiving Day. The NFL has also been strict in other instances, such as when Michael Thomas of the New Orleans Saints emulated Joe Horn's infamous cell phone celebration from 2003. After scoring a touchdown against the Los Angeles Rams in Week 9 of the 2018 season, Thomas retrieved a hidden flip phone from under the goalpost, which earned him a 15-yard penalty and a hefty fine.
The inconsistency in the NFL's disciplinary actions has been a point of contention, highlighted again recently on social media. A videographer for Tyreek Hill, star wide receiver for the Miami Dolphins, was reportedly banned for a season for supplying Hill with a phone to record a celebratory backflip, sparking criticism of the league's seemingly arbitrary enforcement of rules.
While the NFL's decision not to fine the Dallas Cowboys for their Thanksgiving celebration may have surprised some fans and observers, it also provided a moment of levity and entertainment. The league's choice to allow this particular celebration could be seen as a nod to the festive spirit of the holiday, even as it maintains its generally stringent stance on post-touchdown festivities. Whether this marks a shift in the NFL's approach to player celebrations remains to be seen, but for now, the Cowboys' turkey-leg revelry stands as a unique moment in the 2023 season.