Cincinnati Bengals DB Vernon Hargreaves Fined $5,555 For His Hilarious Super Bowl LVI Goof Up Against LA Rams

The 13th of February was not a very good day for the Cincinnati Bengals. They had a near-miss attempt at the Lombardi Trophy after a remarkable season, losing 23-20 to the Los Angeles Rams in the Super Bowl after putting on a fight in the SoFi Stadium.

That loss would certainly make Bengals defensive back Vernon Hargreaves think about his amateurish penalty in the biggest game of the year. And even if drawing a flag being an inactive player for the game wasn’t embarrassing enough, the league has now fined him heavily for his unprofessional act. 

During the first half of the game, safety Jessie Bates intercepted a throw from Matthew Stafford directed to Van Jefferson at the back of the end zone. It was a pretty remarkable interception from Bates and a crucial one too. The Bengals were trailing to the Rams by 10-13 and were in desperate need of such a play. 

However, that interception made the Bengals sideline so excited that inactive player Vernon Hargreaves couldn’t help but run across the field in flip-flops and street clothes to celebrate with his teammates. That goofy mistake cost the Bengals a 10-yard penalty. So the snap which should have been made from 20 now came down to their own 10-yard line and just a couple of minutes in the clock.

Cincinnati Bengals DB Vernon Hargreaves fined $5,555 by NFL

Almost a week later, the NFL imposed a $5,555 fine on Hargreaves. It certainly was a costly celebration for the defensive back. And looking back, it was also a blunder for the Bengals considering the fact that they also had a few yards away from making a field goal to draw the game. “A lack of discipline,” Bengals coach Zac Taylor said of Hargreaves’ celebration.

Also Read: Can Seahawks WR DK Metcalf Beat Rival Tyreek Hill at Olympics 100m Sprint?

However, Hargreaves is not the only Bengals player to be handed a fine. Right tackle Isaiah Prince was also given a $4,722 fine. Prince was penalized for unnecessary roughness early in the fourth quarter when Joe Burrow got sacked by Von Miller, which led to the quarterback tweaking his knee. 

It was most certainly a costly night for the Bengals. However, the fight put on by them was commendable. And since the team is relatively young and warm-blooded, they will surely look back at ways to retaliate next season. 

Watch This Season: “All Admit Lewis Hamilton Was Robbed…” – Rich Energy CEO Makes Fiery Revelation on F1 Finale Controversy