NFL make final punishment decisions after Patrick Mahomes Super Bowl incident

Jalen Carter has escaped punishment from the NFL for his hit on Patrick Mahomes during the Philadelphia Eagles’ Super Bowl LIX victory over the Kansas City Chiefs. Yet, two of his Eagles teammates were not so fortunate as they were fined for their unsportsmanlike conduct during the game.

Many expected that Carter would be fined for unnecessary roughness after he dealt a brutal blow to Mahomes' helmet during a strip sack in the fourth quarter of the Lombardi Trophy triumph in New Orleans on Feb. 9. Despite being previously fined $17,445 for striking Washington Commanders center Tyler Biadasz in the helmet in the NFC championship game, Carter was not penalised for the play, which resulted in Milton Williams landing on the loose ball.

Williams, however, was fined for his celebration, where he dunked the ball over the crossbar as Philly closed in on a 40-22 victory at Caesars Superdome. The officials did not throw a flag, but the NFL's Football Operations department was bemused by Williams' conduct.

The 25-year-old defensive tackle – a third-round pick in 2021 – was fined $14,069 for unsportsmanlike conduct. Meanwhile, outside linebacker Jalyx Hunt was also met with punishment for his celebration in the Super Bowl.

After dragging Mahomes to the floor halfway through the second quarter, the third-round rookie made a bow-and-arrow gesture. His celebration violated the league's rules on violent gestures and he was slapped with a $5,690 fine.

Fines collected by the NFL are donated to the Professional Athletes Foundation and the NFL Foundation, which support former players in need and invest in safety research. Since 2011, around $4million has been contributed to these causes each season.

Despite the frustration of having to pay hefty fines to the league, the joy of securing their first Super Bowl rings will undoubtedly outweigh this for both players. The Chiefs, led by Mahomes, were aiming for a historic third consecutive Super Bowl victory, but they were no match for the physically dominant Eagles.

With significant contributions from quarterback Jalen Hurts and a formidable defence, the Eagles stormed to a 24-0 lead at half-time and quickly quashed any hopes of a Chiefs comeback by extending their lead to 34-6 by the end of the third quarter. 

Mahomes, who threw two interceptions in what was perhaps the worst performance of his career, took responsibility for the defeat. "Credit to the Eagles they played better than us from start to finish,” he said.

"Obviously, the turnovers hurt - I've just got to take all the blame for that. Those early turnovers swung the momentum of the game, and they capitalized on them. It was kind of 14 points that I gave them and it's hard to come back from that at the Super Bowl. I just didn't play to my standard and I have to be better next time."