Bengals Adam Jones Fined $35,000 For Retaliation Against Cooper

Adam Jones, Cincinnati Bengals cornerback, was fined $35,000 by the league. Jones was caught slamming Oakland’s Amari Cooper’s head into his helmet after he had slapped it off. The incident happened during the Bengals game one blowout of the Raiders.

In a statement reported by ESPN, Jones said the fine was “way too much.” He plans to appeal the assessment placed on him by the NFL. Jones says the punishment was magnified.

“Yeah. I got fined. $35K. Way too much for a football play. I’ll appeal. The story is magnified because it’s me. I can’t promise it won’t happen again. I’m an emotional player.”

The fact that Jones was fined and not suspended seems to contradict what Commissioner Roger Goodell has proposed for the league. In a detailed explanation found in the Business Insider, Goodell talks about suspensions being more meaningful than fines.

“That’s why we want to make sure that in our decisions there are competitive consequences. Fines don’t work. Suspensions are important in those circumstances. Just as when we have competitive violations with teams, we just don’t fine, we actually normally focus in on draft choices or some other type of competitive discipline so that you can avoid this behavior going forward, you can prevent this behavior going forward.”

The incident happened after the rookie receiver was blocking Jones on a downfield play. As Jones was trying to make a tackle, Cooper throws a jab to the throat of Adam Jones. CincyJungle posted this video of Jones taking the shot:

For the part he played in the altercation, Amari Cooper kept a calm attitude and responded in a matter-of-fact manner.

“I was blocking him on a long run and he got on top of me after the play and ripped my helmet off. I mean, it’s football. It’s a physical game so you kind of expect it.”

Jones has played for the Bengals since 2010, but also played for the Cowboys and Titans in his first five years in the league. He makes an average of $1.78 million annually under his current contract with the Bengals. The $35,000 fine Jones received is the most substantial this year. Atlanta Falcons starting strong safety, William Moore, was fined more than $23,000 by the NFL for a hit he delivered on Monday Night Football.

With emotions flying high and so much on the line, players get caught up in the moment. Football is a violent and testosterone filled game.

Would more suspensions solve the problem or take away from the sport America has come to love?

[Photo by Ezra Shaw/ Getty Images]