The 2024-25 NFL season has witnessed a significant rise in the number of fines issued to football players. While most players and head coaches have remained silent so far, Shannon Sharpe and Chad Johnson addressed the league’s gradual shift toward becoming a “non-physical” sport during their discussion on the Nightcap podcast.
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Shannon highlighted the increase in fines until week 17, expressing his concern that the total number of fines could reach around 550 to 600 by the time of the Super Bowl 2025, which is not a positive sign.
“Ocho, last year, the league issued a total of 419 fines for the regular season and postseason. Through Week 17 this year, they’ve already issued 484. That’s a 1.17 percent increase,” Shannon explained.
Ocho agreed to Shannon’s take, emphasizing that certain physical elements are intrinsic to football and they should not be taken away from the game. He elaborated further, criticizing the league’s ongoing efforts to minimize physicality. His argument was that the league is diluting the game with regulatory measures and that it could reduce the player mobility and contact on the field.
“The game of football is played in a certain way. There’s certain things you can’t take out of it. You’ve already taken the physicality out of the game. Now you’re trying to take the culture, the style, and the way 80 percent of certain types of players play it.”
Reacting to Ocho, Shannon acknowledged that some penalties are “inevitable” for the teams to ensure they protect the quarterback. However, he urged the players and the team owners to “accept” those penalties by looking at the larger picture.
“If I get beat clean, you are not going to hit my quarterback. I’m gonna tackle you. I know they’re gonna throw a flag, but I’m okay with that. Certain penalties, you just have to accept. ‘Hey, good job, son.’ That’s how you make sure your quarterback doesn’t get hit,” Shannon concluded.
Shannon and Ocho’s shared concern is a viewpoint that perhaps resonates with many football fans, who feel that frequent referee calls and excessive fines make the game “boring” and “unattractive.” As fines continue to increase, it’s highly likely that Commissioner Roger Goodell will address the issue with stakeholders.
