NFL Decides Punishment for Joe Mixon’s Coin Toss Celebration

The Bengals star sent a message to the league during a touchdown celebration against the Ravens in Week 18.

Bengals star running back Joe Mixon received a fine from the NFL on Friday stemming from his use of a prop during a touchdown celebration in a 27–16 win over the Ravens in Week 18.

Mixon broke the news of the discipline on Twitter, sharing a copy of a memo that noted the league fined him $13,261 for the celebration. The sixth-year pro memorably flipped a coin he pulled from his glove in the end zone after scoring in the first quarter on Jan. 8. It was a clear reference to the NFL’s decision to have a coin toss decide home field advantage for a possible wild-card game between the two AFC North rivals if Baltimore won the game.

While Mixon previously stated that he planned to appeal a potential fine, the 26-year-old proposed a few different resolutions to the issue on Friday. Mixon proposed a coin flip for charity with commissioner Roger Goodell, and even called on Bengals legend Chad Johnson, who originally requested the TD celebration, to pay the fine.

Mixon was among those to voice their disapproval of the proposed coin toss, a solution the NFL devised after Bills safety Damar Hamlin’s medical emergency in Week 17 altered the playoff seeding in the AFC. Despite claiming the AFC North as a result of the changes, Cincinnati needed a Week 18 victory to ensure the club would host a playoff game in the wild-card round. 

The Bengals and Ravens will face off for a third time on Sunday at Paycor Stadium, with kickoff is set for 8:15 p.m. ET.