The Kansas City Chiefs were victorious in their close matchup with the Minnesota Vikings in Week 5. The win didn’t come without controversy as the late game dispute between cornerback L’Jarius Sneed and the officials.
According to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero, Sneed was fined $13,659 for unsportsmanlike conduct by the NFL after taking off his helmet to speak with officials while on the field. The league rules have always penalized players for removing their helmets on the field, but Sneed was seemingly spared. The fine following a non-penalized infraction is odd and a way for the league to admit its mistake in not flagging the veteran.
The NFL fined #Chiefs CB L’Jarius Sneed $13,659 for unsportsmanlike conduct — removing his helmet to argue a flag against him late in last week’s win over the #Vikings.
Officials picked up the original flag and didn’t flag Sneed for removing his helmet either. pic.twitter.com/8rzViwfUxJ
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) October 14, 2023
During the replay of the incident, one of the officials can be seen telling Sneed to put his helmet back on. The situation caused Vikings coach Kevin O’Connell to immediately complain about a flag call on Sneed that never materialized. The Chiefs have since moved on to defeat the Denver Broncos on Thursday Night Football to begin Week 6.