Jared Verse's Peace Sign Fine Proves The NFL's War On 'Taunting' Has Gone Too Far

The NFL fined Jared Verse $11,593 this week for flashing a peace sign toward the Atlanta Falcons bench during a blocked field-goal return. And yes, that's just as stupid as it sounds.

There was no flag on the play, no interruption in the game, no moment where everyone collectively gasped in horror. Just a big nothing-burger and a letter from the league afterward letting Verse know his two fingers in the air would cost him five figures.

Immediately after the adrenaline wore off, Verse realized he might have crossed a line — at least as far as the NFL is concerned.

"I was scared as [expletive]," he said. "I was like, ‘Sean’s going to kill me.’ I was like, ‘It’s bad.’ I got to the end zone and was like, ‘They’re not going to review it? Alright, bet.’" 

Turns out Sean McVay didn't kill him. But he still paid the price.

A peace sign, Jared Verse? Think of the children!

(Dale Zanine-Imagn Images)

This is all part of the NFL's big offseason announcement back in August that it would be cracking down on taunting and unsportsmanlike conduct — particularly, on "violent and sexually suggestive gestures" — in 2025. The league set the tone immediately, fining five players in Week 1 alone.

"Unsportsmanlike gestures like simulating or either shooting a gun or brandishing a gun, or inappropriate gestures like a throat slash, or unfortunate sexual gestures, those were up 133% so that is a point of emphasis," rules analyst Walt Anderson explained at the time. 

"There are plenty of ways for players to be able to celebrate… so we want them to focus on those and not the inappropriate areas."

‘Taunting’ Is The Dumbest Penalty In Professional Sports

I mean, sure. If someone's out there doing something clearly obscene, call a penalty. If we've got birds flipping, crotch grabbing, finger guns blazing, throw the flag. If someone rips off an opponent's helmet and flings it toward the sideline (looking at you, Brian Branch), that's objectively unsportsmanlike.

But that's not what most of these fines are.

What the league is actually punishing are things so mild they likely wouldn't even register at a middle-school recess. Like when Nolan Smith flexed after a tackle. Or when Puka Nacua flexed and pointed after moving the chains. Riq Woolen stood over a player for a moment. Cooper DeJean did a playful step-over that most fans immediately recognized as a nod to Allen Iverson.

Perhaps the most egregious example happened in September when Jerry Jeudy got fined for clapping in the general direction of Cam Taylor-Britt. 

And if something that benign is worthy of a nearly $12,000 fine, I'd hate to see what the NFL would do to John Cleese: 

If you don't understand that reference, it's time to culture yourself.

It does seem the NFL does everything it can to live up to its reputation as the No Fun League, and this stuff isn't helping. Don't officials have enough on their plates without playing hall monitor over who flexed too hard or celebrated for half a second too long?

After all, these are players trained to get clobbered by 300-pound men at full speed. They shove, collide and bash each other all day long.

But we're to believe they're too fragile to handle a peace sign? Embarrassing, Roger Goodell.