The National Football League has chosen not to impose fines on the Dallas Cowboys following their inventive Thanksgiving-themed touchdown celebrations. The incident, which unfolded during the Cowboys' dominant 45-10 win over the Washington Commanders on November 23, saw players indulging in turkey legs that had been cleverly concealed inside Salvation Army kettles positioned near the end zones.
As the game approached its conclusion, with a significant lead and only five minutes left on the clock, the Cowboys made their way to the kettles after a fourth-quarter touchdown to retrieve the foil-wrapped turkey legs they had stashed earlier. This premature celebration was a deviation from the usual post-game tradition where the winning team is seen feasting on turkey legs during the national broadcast after the game's conclusion.
Tony Romo, the CBS analyst and former quarterback for the Cowboys, expressed his amusement at the celebration, noting it was unprecedented to see such antics before the final whistle. Sideline reporter Tracy Wolfson revealed that the Cowboys had decided to go ahead with this celebratory act at the start of the fourth quarter. Inspired by the planned festivities, the Cowboys’ offense pushed forward, scoring another touchdown and cementing their victory.
The masterminds behind the celebration included none other than quarterback Dak Prescott, head coach Mike McCarthy, and team owner Jerry Jones. Prescott was later spotted on the sidelines savoring a turkey leg, while an evidently entertained McCarthy looked on.
A Surprising Leniency
The NFL's decision to forgo fines came as a shock to many, given the league's history of strictly penalizing elaborate or unauthorized post-touchdown celebrations. This leniency was particularly unexpected as the Cowboys have faced penalties for similar actions in the past. For instance, in 2016, Ezekiel Elliott, the former running back for the Cowboys, jumped into the kettle without receiving a fine. However, in 2018, he was fined $13,369 for repeating the same action.
In a more recent event during a game against the Indianapolis Colts in 2022, both Elliott and Prescott were fined $13,261 each for unsportsmanlike conduct when they used the Salvation Army kettle as a prop during their touchdown celebration. That same game witnessed the team's tight ends being collectively fined a total of $27,094 for mimicking a Whac-A-Mole game around the kettle after a touchdown on Thanksgiving Day.
Consistency in enforcing discipline has been a point of contention for the NFL, highlighted by various incidents over the years. For example, Michael Thomas of the New Orleans Saints recreated a celebration originally performed by Joe Horn in 2003, where Thomas retrieved a hidden flip phone from under the goalpost padding after a touchdown. While this act earned Thomas accolades from fans, it also resulted in a 15-yard penalty and a substantial fine, much like Horn faced two decades prior.
Recent social media discussions have pointed out these inconsistencies, especially after news broke that Tyreek Hill's videographer was banned for the season. The videographer provided Hill, who plays for the Miami Dolphins, with a phone to record a celebratory backflip, highlighting the league's seemingly arbitrary approach to discipline.
Despite previous instances of strict enforcement, the NFL's decision to overlook the Cowboys' Thanksgiving celebration indicates a potential shift in the league's stance on celebrations or, at least, an exception to the rule. This move has left fans and pundits alike both surprised and relieved, as many appreciate the entertainment value such celebrations bring to the game.
While the NFL has often been dubbed the "No Fun League" due to its stringent policies on player conduct, this latest development could signal a more lenient future—or it may simply be an anomaly. Either way, the Cowboys' turkey leg celebration will undoubtedly be remembered as one of the more unique touchdown spectacles in recent memory, made all the more notable by the league's unexpected pardon.