New Orleans Saints safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson took a big hit to his wallet on Saturday, per Amie Just of the Times-Picayune | Advocate. Just reported that Gardner-Johnson was fined $15,000 for unsportsmanlike conduct in his team’s win over the Chicago Bears in last week’s Wild-Card Round playoff game, following an incident in which Bears receiver Anthony Miller struck Gardner-Johnson as the pair chirped after a play.
Miller was fined $8,959 for throwing the punch. It might seem odd for the one who got physical to be punished less heavily than the person who was hit, but the NFL isn’t viewing this through the lens of assailants and victims. Instead, Gardner-Johnson was treated as a repeat offender, having already been fined before for unsportsmanlike conduct. Per league rules, fines escalate for subsequent offenses.
In total, Gardner-Johnson has racked up more than $35,000 in fines this year. Considering he’s only in the second year of his low-cost rookie contract, his weekly checks pay out to about $39,700. So he’s lost nearly a full game’s salary to fines.
But it’s working. He’s gotten multiple players thrown out of games just by virtue of his trash talk, which is remarkable. What is he saying that’s getting his opponents so hot under the collar?
