Broncos WR Jerry Jeudy won't be suspended for making contact with official but could be fined
Jerry Jeudy's week got a little bit better following his explosive three-touchdown performance against the Kansas City Chiefs.
The Denver Broncos wide receiver reportedly won't be suspended for an outburst in Week 14 where he bumped an official after a play, according to NFL Network's Tom Pelissero.
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Jeudy is, however, expected to face fines for multiple rule violations that include contact with an official and removing his helmet on the field.
Physical contact with an official comes with a $37,232 fine on the first offense, according to the NFL's collective bargaining agreement with the players. Verbal or other non-physical contact with an official is a $29,785 fine. Though removing a helmet isn't included in the list of fines, the NFL recently fined Carolina Panthers tight end Stephen Sullivan $4,583 for unsportsmanlike conduct when he took his helmet off following a touchdown by teammate D.J. Moore.
Jeudy told reporters after the game that the outburst occurred after he felt the officials missed a holding call on him in the second quarter. It also occurred while the Broncos were down by a considerable margin and before Jeudy caught all three of his touchdown passes.
“On that certain play, I got held,” Jeudy said. “I was just frustrated because we didn’t have things going, so I was out there playing with frustration wanting to make a play for my team. I feel like at that point, I was just held and that should’ve been called, but I have to know how to control my anger and just move on from there.”
Broncos head coach Nathaniel Hackett added that he talked with Jeudy as soon as the officials told him what occurred and they immediately resolved the issue.
"We addressed it right away. Talked with him — he definitely knew that he was wrong," Hackett said. "That's unacceptable. You can't do that. We addressed that and I know that he does that he can't do that. I know that he was very frustrated at the time but that's just something you can't do."
Jeudy wasn't penalized or ejected for the play
Oddly enough, Jeudy didn't receive any punishment during the game despite NFL rules that state otherwise.
Jeudy should have been ejected from the game, according to the official NFL rulebook. Jeudy also should have been subject to a 15-yard unsportsmanlike penalty for making physical contact with an official.
Two players were ejected earlier this season for making contact with an official: Arizona Cardinals offensive lineman Will Hernandez in Week 4 against the Carolina Panthers and Buffalo Bills edge rusher A.J. Epenesa in Week 5 against the Pittsburgh Steelers. Neither were suspended or fined for their infringement.
Both Hernandez and Epenesa were ejected by the same referee — John Hussey — so perhaps it's more at the discretion of the official as to if the severity of the contact warrants an ejection. Marshawn Lynch was ejected and then suspended for one game in 2017 after he pushed line judge Julian Mapp during a fight between the Kansas City Chiefs and then-Oakland Raiders. Jeudy, meanwhile, made contact with line judge Tripp Sutter during the Broncos-Chiefs game.
