It’s not news to anyone who watched NFL games in 2016 that the officiating and league fines were absolutely out of control. As the seasons progress, the exact nature of what is and is not acceptable per the rule book has become so hazy that often, players truly don’t know what they are going to be flagged or fined for.
However the most egregious example of the league’s implementation of the rules last season can be found in their application of the ‘unsportsmanlike conduct’ fine, as well as the continuously murky ‘roughing the passer’ penalty.