CeeDee Lamb was all smiles after helping Dak Prescott deliver the knockout blow in overtime against the New England Patriots in Week 7, describing it as the “best feeling ever,”http://www.cbssports.com/” seeing as it’s only the second time in his football career he’s grabbed a walk-off touchdown — the only other being in high school. What happened immediately after has cost him thousands, though, with the NFL taking exception to the former first-round pick waving goodbye to cornerback Jalen Mills, after Mills landed a late hit on Diggs in the end zone that provoked Diggs the finishing gesture.
Lamb has been fined a hefty $10,300 for waving at Mills, sources confirm to CBS Sports, but Mills was not fined for shoving Lamb.
The fine on Lamb, and subsequent lack of one on Mills, is made much more curious by the league’s social media account having utilized the wave as Twitter content — later going on to delete it. For a league suddenly hellbent on curbing what it deems as all manner of taunting, it begs the question of why they’d post it in the first place, if they deemed it so inappropriate.
Lamb shouldn’t hold his breath waiting on an explanation though, for that or for the decision to not penalize Mills.
He also wasn’t the only Cowboys player who’ll have to dig into their pockets as the team returns from a bye week to begin preparation for the Minnesota Vikings on Halloween. For his unsportsmanlike conduct penalty levied late in the fourth quarter that nearly gave the Patriots the victory, offensive lineman Connor Williams was fined more than Lamb, to the tune of $16,394. In addition to Lamb and Williams, cornerback sensation Trevon Diggs was punished as well — fined $7,981 for an unnecessary roughness penalty in the first quarter.
All three will look to move on from these fines with a chance to help the Cowboys move to 6-1 on the season and, in an NFL landscape where so much as staring at an opposing player for too long is deemed taunting, Lamb will have to reconsider waving goodbye to anyone else — even if provoked — or he can wave hello to a larger fine next time.
