Joe Mixon‘s season had it all—big plays, clutch moments, and, of course, a little off-field chaos. The Texans‘ RB was coming off a strong year, helping Houston make a solid playoff run. But after their postseason loss to the Chiefs, Mixon found himself catching heat—not for his performance, but for what he said after the game. The NFL hit him with a $25K fine, claiming he called out the refs. But was it really that deep?

Apparently not. Joe Mixon appealed, and after hearing him out, NFL hearing officer Chris Palmer threw the fine in the trash. In his ruling, Palmer basically said, “Statements can be interpreted differently by every individual, and it seems like you clearly understand the weight and detriment of public criticism towards officials… After reviewing the totality of the evidence, I find that you did not necessarily publicly criticize the officials.” And just like that, Joe Mixon dodged an L and kept his cash. The decision had people talking, though—was the NFL too quick to hand out fines, or did they just not wanna admit they overreacted? Either way, Mixon walked away with his pockets untouched.

So how did this mess even start? Well, the NFL fumbled hard on this one. At first, they fined Mixon for comments that weren’t even his—former Bengals WR T.J. Houshmandzadeh actually said them. Once the league realized their oopsie, instead of dropping it, they slapped Mixon with a new fine for his actual words. Fans and analysts weren’t having it, and his agent, Peter Schaffer, called out the NFL for being inconsistent, saying players deserve better when it comes to discipline.

Even with all the drama, Joe Mixon has played well last season. In 14 games, he ran for 1,016 yards, averaged 4.1 yards per carry, and punched in 11 touchdowns. He was a huge piece of the Texans’ offense and even locked in a Pro Bowl nod. But with Mixon turning 29 soon, Houston’s already thinking ahead. Maybe adding another RB to share the load or even eyeing his eventual replacement. Whether he stays RB1 or not, one thing’s for sure. Mixon knows how to keep his name in the headlines, on and off the field.

Players got fined for Super Bowl celebrations, but one turned it into a W

The Eagles secured the dub in the Super Bowl, but a couple of their guys also secured some hefty fines. Milton Williams got slapped with a $14,069 fine for dunking the football over the crossbar after a turnover. Apparently, having fun is illegal in the NFL. Rookie Jalyx Hunt also got hit with a $5,690 fine for his bow-and-arrow sack celebration, which the league labeled a “violent gesture“.(even though it was just a celebration). Fans were quick to call out the NFL for being way too strict, especially in the biggest game of the year.

Hunt’s fine actually turned into something dope, though. Actor and Philly native Rob McElhenney offered to cover the cost, but Hunt was like, ‘Nah, let’s use this for something bigger.’ Instead, he asked people to donate to “Barbers Who Care,” a local charity that helps provide free haircuts and supplies to those in need. The fundraiser blew up and hit its $20K goal, proving that even an unnecessary fine can be flipped into something positive. The NFL might keep policing celebrations, but the Eagles still found a way to turn an L into a win.