Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce has been fined by the NFL for throwing a towel at a referee during last Sunday's game against the Jacksonville Jaguars.
Per Tom Pelissero of USA Today, the league docked Kelce $24,309 for the incident that led to his ejection from the game.
The play in question occurred during the fourth quarter with Kansas City leading 16-7 and deep in Jacksonville territory.
Chiefs quarterback Nick Foles threw a pass to Kelce in the end zone. There were two Jacksonville defenders around him, and it appeared the officials could have called a pass-interference penalty. However, they held on to their flags.
Kelce vehemently disagreed with the no-call and received an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty. He eventually pulled the towel from his pants and threw it at a referee who promptly ejected him from the contest.
After the game, Kelce accepted responsibility for his actions.
"I felt like an idiot,'' Kelce said, per ESPN's Adam Teicher. "I can't do that to my teammates. I can't do that to the [fans], to myself. It was a terrible decision.''
The Chiefs went on to defeat the Jaguars, 19-14, and are in second place in the AFC West with a 6-2 record.
While Kelce's wallet is lighter today, he was able to avoid a suspension from the NFL. He's been valuable in Kansas City's offense, leading the Chiefs with 435 yards on 39 receptions. He also ranks second on the team with three touchdown catches.
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