T.J. Watt made during a radio appearance last month and what he said there has now cost him thousands.
During an appearance on The Dan Patrick Show, Watt said he checked his phone at halftime of his team’s regular season finale to see if he had been credited for a sack for taking down Ravens quarterback Tyler Huntley. That was an issue because players checking their phones during a game is forbidden.
The league took him at his word and promptly fined him for it even though he stated he was simply joking.
“I jokingly said that I checked my phone of halftime of the Baltimore game, and the NFL took it as a real saying and fined me $10,000,” Watt said. “It’s just one of those things where I’m allowed to have my phone on me at all 90 minutes before the game, or during halftime.”
So Watt got fined and did not get credit for the sack.
However, Watt was named NFL Defensive Player of the Year, so I guess it all worked out. Watt tied the NFL record for sacks in a season with a sack of Ravens QB Tyler Huntley, giving him 22.5.
Just before the 2021 season, Watt was able to get a four-year, $112 million deal done with Pittsburgh and earned every cent of his large contract through his outrageous performance. That $10K fine is just a drop in the bucket.
