New Orleans Saints defensive end Cam Jordan took to Twitter to vent about how the NFL’s “ridiculous” fines “infuriated” him for being overly punitive.
As funny as flipping combos may be for sports fans, the leagues make it clear that faking or exaggerating an injury is no laughing matter.
While a common tactic to get advantages on the hardwood, there are reasons why soccer players fake injuries on the field far from drawing a penalty mark. Suppose, for example, that a player fakes a hit on fourth down and interrupts the flow of a successful offense without a huddle.
In such a situation, the player and his team could be fined $550,000 — at least, that’s what New Orleans Saints’ Cam Jordan was fined for allegedly faking a leg injury in this exact situation.
ProFootballTalk’s Mike Florio Description of the situation that led to the penalty from the NFL:
The incident occurred after a third-and-17 play by the Buccaneers, in the middle of the fourth quarter. As offensive quarterback Tom Brady lined up for the fourth-and-10, Jordan looked to the sideline, took a knee, and pointed down his left leg.
And the source says that other camera angles reveal that Jordan is receiving a direction from the side line to go down.
The obvious intent, the NFL concluded, was to take the power out of Tampa Bay’s effort to shift into rush mode and convert the fourth play. After the hit stopped, the Buccaneers gave chase.”
According to Florio’s source, the $550,000 fines were distributed across the Saints’ organization. Jordan is reportedly expected to pay $50,000, as is head coach Ryan Nielsen. Meanwhile, Dennis Allen was fined $100,000, and the Saints were fined $350,000.
Jordan took to Twitter to vent his frustrations to the crowd, asking if he could figure out good sums for the crowd. Fortunately, Florio shared the alleged amounts from a source to give fans a glimpse into why Jordan is “upset” with the NFL’s latest discipline.
Cam Jordan is frustrated with the NFL over the excessive fake injury penalty – especially when the injury is real
In his tweets, Jordan denied faking the injury, saying it was “obviously aggravating something.” Because of that and the idea of a fine for a supposedly faked injury, Jordan initially laughed at the fine – until he heard the amount.
If Jordan’s medical staff and the Saints are able to prove that Jordan sustained an injury of some kind, even a light one, perhaps the fine can be rescinded.
For this reason, the Saints deny any wrongdoing for this reason: they maintain that Jordan was in fact injured because he “felt a sore foot after the third play.”
The Saints provide additional context, explaining that although Jordan scored and was able to finish the game, an MRI scan the next day confirmed that Jordan “suffered a severe sprain in the middle of his foot.”
Jordan and the Saints aren’t the only organization hit with a fine this week. If it’s any consolation for Jordan, Cincinnati Bengals safety Jessie Bates was also fined $50,000 for allegedly faking an injury as well in order to avoid a 12 Men On The Field penalty.
Bates plans to appeal, and guessing from the New Orleans tweet, Jordan will presumably be fighting the fine as well.
What had started out as a well-intentioned way to deter false injuries became an embarrassment for the NFL: All they had to do was call the Saints and claim Jordan’s medical status only to realize his “fake” injury was very real.
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