Pundits and fans are buzzing about the NFL levying a seemingly high number of fines for things like Unsportsmanlike Conduct and Helmet-to-Helmet hits on players this season. But are players actually getting fined more in 2023 than in the past? The answer is YES - in 2023 the NFL is projected to more than double the previous record number of fines levied on players in a season.
Excluding off-field fines (Missed Workouts, Detrimental Conduct, Personal Messages, and Off-Field Violations), the NFL is on pace for 524 on-field player fines over the full 2023 season. This would be 2.2X the previous record for the number on-field fines against players for on-field infractions:
The sharp rise in the rate at which the NFL is fining players for on-field infractions in 2023 is also apparent in the actual value of on-field fines accrued. Even after adjusting for inflation or adjusting for changes in the NFL salary cap (which has outpaced inflation), players are set to lose the most money they have ever lost to player fines in 2023 at $7.6m:
The total number of on-field fines levied on players varies substantially across the 20+ years of actual data available . The Pittsburgh Steelers stand out - their 168 on-field player fines as a franchise are 64 higher than the second-place Baltimore Ravens and Tennessee Titans (104 each). The Los Angeles Chargers have the least fines against players over the available data at just 51 on-field player fines.
Now for the fun part - a look at the players and teams that have set records for fines. Odell Beckham Jr., Deshaun Watson, Ndamukong Suh, and Robaire Smith all have earned distinguished NFL fine achievements in their times in the NFL. For teams, the Pittsburgh Steelers and Cleveland Browns have out-penalized the competition to set records for the number and amount of fines their players have racked up since 2002. Unsportsmanlike Conduct remains the #1 fine levied against players, though Roughing the Passer (459 fines levied) will likely catch up in the next season or two.
TLDR: 2023 is going to be a blockbuster revenue year for the Professional Athletes Foundation and the NFL Foundation, the charities that are on the receiving end of all NFL player fines collected. The good news for NFL players is that they get to max out their charitable tax deduction this year.
Note: I found and corrected a few errors in the Spotrac NFL player fine database, so it is highly likely that a few more escaped me. It is also likely that I introduced my own errors.