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An eventful week for Philadelphia Eagles safety CJ Gardner-Johnson will end with a pair of fines. After being ejected from the Eagles' Week 16 matchup with the Washington Commanders, the safety received two fines from the NFL adding up to $45,022.
Gardner-Johnson received two fines of $22,511 for his two unsportsmanlike conduct penalties, team reporter Zach Berman reported. He was the only player to receive any monetary discipline despite multiple others being involved in the scuffle that led to his ejection.
The play that led up to the 27-year-old's ejection went viral on social media. Fans were irate after believing that Gardner-Johnson was the victim of a punch from Commanders receiver Dyami Brown, yet was the player to receive the flag and was the only one punished by the referees.
After receiving his second unsportsmanlike conduct penalty, Gardner-Johnson was visibly frustrated on the sideline while getting escorted to the locker room. He boldly held up two middle fingers to the fans at Northwest Stadium as he entered the tunnel.
After the game, Gardner-Johnson continued to rant on social media about his ejection. The Eagles safety went on Instagram live while the game was still going, cursing out officials and claiming he “didn't do s***.” Either one of the two actions likely played a part in his fines.
Eagles still in play for No. 1 seed in NFC
While Gardner-Johnson will be even more upset to receive a fine, he still avoided a suspension for his actions. That allows him to take the field in Week 17 as the Eagles continue their pursuit of the No. 1 overall seed in the NFC.
It is a long shot, but the window is not completely shut. The Eagles currently sit in second in the conference, behind the Detroit Lions. However, they are also one game behind the Minnesota Vikings. Most of the attention is on the Lions and Vikings fighting over the top seed but Philadelphia is still not out of the race.
If the Eagles win in Week 17, they could match the best record in the NFC, assuming both the Lions and Vikings lose. Minnesota and Detroit will then meet in Week 18. If Philadelphia and Minnesota both win in Week 18, the Eagles will steal the No. 1 seed.
The odds of those events falling into place are not favorable. Entering Week 17, ESPN gives the Eagles a three percent chance of locking up a first-round bye in the playoffs.
