An NFL player was met with quite a hefty fine, again, despite not being penalized on the field. Trailing the Dallas Cowboys, 17-14, Kansas City Chiefs running back Isiah Pacheco was met with a $46,371 fine for unnecessary roughness on a rather meaningless play. With it being third and 16, Pacheco never had much of a chance, but the NFL thought he did enough to warrant a gigantic fine.
Kansas City Chiefs RB Isiah Pacheco Wasn’t Penalized For This Nearly $50K Fine
In a world where Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield and RB Bucky Irving were fined a combined $20K for their touchdown celebration, Pacheco has to look at this play and figure out why he was fined an additional $26K. In total, his fine exceeded $46K on a play that had no impact on the game whatsoever.
Seeing as it was third and long, QB Patrick Mahomes opted to check it down to his running back. Pacheco got nearly ten yards on the reception, but it was the way he lowered his helmet when he went out of bounds that got the NFL’s attention.
As is the case with most of these fines, he wasn’t penalized for the play.
The NFL fined Chiefs RB Isiah Pacheco $46,371 for unnecessary roughness — use of the helmet on this play. pic.twitter.com/BZd7g18T1I
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) December 6, 2025
Many would argue that if it isn’t called on the field, no fine should be warranted. There was clearly no intent to injure on this play, and Pacheco was doing whatever he could to fight through a tackle and try to get the remaining six or seven yards for the first down.
Ultimately, the NFL has made up its mind, and it will continue to fine players for instances like this. Pacheco could appeal, but more often than not, it’s just a waste of time.
It’s not like he’s making nearly as much money as his QB, so this fine will certainly leave a dent in his pocket. No one was injured, yet Pacheco faced the harsh reality of losing a significant amount of money on Thanksgiving.
According to PFSN’s RB Impact Metric, Pacheco has earned himself a C- grade this season. He hasn’t been up to his usual standard, but it’s not like the Chiefs have had much of a run game to begin with.
Heading into Sunday Night Football at 6-6, a loss to the Houston Texans could mark the end of their season. Don’t sleep on the Texans, as this is a team that just picked up wins over the Buffalo Bills and Indianapolis Colts.