Touchdown or Tease-down? NFL Says, ‘Relax, Mahomes Is Safe!’

The NFL was basically in full high-school disciplinary mode this week. After Monday night’s Kansas City Chiefs vs. Detroit Lions game, things got spicy real quick! Lions safety Brian Branch went for what looked like a friendly handshake with JuJu Smith-Schuster — and instead threw a punch right in his face. Boom — benches cleared, chaos everywhere.

Branch later apologized, but the NFL still handed him a one-game suspension (sorry, Week 7 vs. Buccaneers—see ya!).
But the real question was — what about Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes?

In the final minute of the first half, Mahomes scored a 1-yard touchdown, then went full WWE mode celebrating. He dropped the ball, pointed at Branch, wiped his jersey, and flexed those biceps like a superhero on prime time.

The fake lateral
The spin
The point on Branch
The flex

Mahomes is FEELING himself #ChiefsKingdom pic.twitter.com/5SeYqmxsKZ
— SleeperChiefs (@SleeperChiefsKC) October 13, 2025

The NFL had already announced it would be cracking down on “unsportsmanlike behavior” this season, especially taunting — and let’s be honest, Mahomes’ celebration was basically the dictionary definition of that!

So what was the punishment?
None.
The league decided his little “show” wasn’t “punishment-worthy,” sparing him the $11,593 fine for a first-offense taunting violation.

According to Rule 12, Section 3, Article 1 of the NFL rulebook, taunting is defined as “any act or words that may engender ill will between teams.”
But the league apparently thought, “Relax, it’s just a flex, not a fight!”

It’s not like Mahomes is new to this. In 2023, he got slapped with a $50,000 fine for verbally abusing officials, and another $14,000 last season for a “violent gesture” against the Buffalo Bills. But this time, the NFL seemed to say — “Go ahead, Mahomes, enjoy your day.”

Fans and haters alike are saying the same thing today: “He scored, he flexed, and the NFL said — cool story, bro!”