The NFL fines Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson as the league cracks down on ‘vulgar acts’

D eshaun Watson has been fined $14,397 by the NFL for participating in a Cleveland Browns touchdown celebration that mimicked passing and smoking an imaginary marijuana cigarette. The punishment followed Cleveland’s Week 4 Thursday night game against the Pittsburgh Steelers, when running back Quinshon Judkins scored and celebrated with Watson and guard Austin Barber.

NFL insider Tom Pelissero reported that Watson and Judkins were each fined $14,397 for unsportsmanlike behavior, including illegal celebrations and vulgar acts. Barber received a $6,944 fine. After Judkins scored in the second quarter, he appeared to take a puff from an imaginary cigarette before passing it to Barber, who mimicked smoking it and tossed it away.

Judkins repeated the gesture before passing it to Watson , who was celebrating with his teammate. The fines came amid renewed attention to the NFL’s celebration rules after the league reversed a separate penalty against San Francisco 49ers fullback Kyle Juszczyk for a gesture initially interpreted as imitating the drinking of beer.

NFL reverses Juszczyk fine but maintains smoking ban

Juszczyk was initially fined $14,926 for an “offensive demonstration” after celebrating a touchdown against the Miami Dolphins on Sept. 20. The fullback tilted his head back and mimicked drinking a beverage, which the league interpreted as chugging a beer.

Following an explanation from Juszczyk and significant fan backlash, the NFL withdrew the fine on Wednesday, saying the gesture simulated drinking from a juice box rather than consuming alcohol. The league subsequently clarified that celebrations imitating drinking a beverage would not result in discipline.

It also said that when a celebration falls into a gray area, officials will contact players and provide guidance before imposing a fine, while warning that repeating an identified prohibited gesture could lead to future punishment.

That clarification does not extend to simulated smoking or drug use. The NFL said gestures depicting violence, weapons, gang-related signs, smoking or drug use, and sexually suggestive acts remain subject to discipline. The distinction helps explain why Juszczyk’s fine was rescinded while Watson and his Cleveland teammates were penalized.

Browns trio pays the price

The fines apply to all three players who participated in the celebration, not just Judkins , who scored the touchdown. Watson’s involvement was brief, but the league’s rules also cover teammates who join prohibited gestures. The penalties were the only celebration-related fines issued that week, according to the report.

The episode underscores the NFL’s challenge in balancing players’ freedom to celebrate with its standards for on-field conduct. Touchdown celebrations are a prominent part of the league’s entertainment, but certain gestures can still carry a financial cost.

For Watson and the Browns , the league’s position is clear: simulated drinking is now permitted under its updated guidance, but celebrations depicting smoking or drug use can still trigger fines.