Football is violent. We all know that. But for the Denver Broncos, that violence has started to carry a very specific, very expensive price tag. If you’ve been watching the 2025-2026 season, you’ve probably noticed the yellow flags flying more than usual, followed by those Saturday afternoon "accountability" reports from the league office.
It’s not just a few bucks. We are talking about nearly $100,000 in total fines for the Denver locker room this season alone.
Honestly, it’s getting a bit ridiculous. You have guys like Malcolm Roach and Nik Bonitto who seem to have a standing appointment with the NFL’s disciplinary committee. Whether it’s a "body weight" hit on a quarterback or the bizarrely specific "pulling a player off a pile," the league is making it clear: they aren’t just watching; they’re charging.
Why Broncos players fined NFL is the hot topic in Denver right now
The Broncos have a discipline problem. Or a "playing through the whistle" problem, depending on who you ask. Coach Sean Payton has been vocal about cleaning up the sloppy play, but the numbers tell a different story. Denver entered the final stretch of the 2025 season as one of the most penalized teams in the league.
That translates directly to the checkbook.
Take the Week 16 disaster against the Jacksonville Jaguars. It wasn’t just a loss on the scoreboard; it was a total raid on the players' bank accounts. In a single game, three different defenders got hit with hefty fines.
- Alex Singleton: Fined $23,186 for "use of the helmet." This is one the league has been obsessed with lately. If you lower your head, even if you aren't trying to hurt anyone, the NFL is going to find you.
- Malcolm Roach: Tacked on $17,389 for a "hit on a quarterback" involving his body weight. These "driving into the ground" calls are the bane of every defensive lineman's existence.
- P.J. Locke: Caught a $11,593 fine for a late hit on Trevor Lawrence.
That’s over $50k in one afternoon. For most of us, that’s a year's salary. For these guys, it’s the cost of a bad Sunday.
The Weird Case of Nik Bonitto
Nik Bonitto has become a bit of a lightning rod for the league's "special" fines. During an overtime thriller against the Washington Commanders, he got flagged for "unnecessary roughness." The weird part? The league specifically labeled it as "pulling a player off a pile."
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They hit him for $11,593.
It’s a controversial one because, in the heat of a goal-line stand, players are constantly yanking and shoving. But the NFL is trying to prevent those secondary scuffles that lead to injuries. This wasn't Bonitto's first rodeo, either. Earlier in his career, he’s been dinged for roughing the passer and even "obscene gestures."
He’s a phenomenal pass rusher, but he’s basically a VIP member of the NFL fine club at this point.
What the 2025 fine schedule actually looks like
You might think these numbers are random. They aren't. Every year, the NFL and the NFLPA (the players' union) negotiate a "Fine Schedule." It’s actually part of the Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA).
Because we are in the 2025-2026 window, the rates have actually gone up. The league uses a "progressive discipline" model. If you’re a first-time offender, you pay the base rate. If you do it again? The price sky-rockets.
Here is the "menu" of what some of these Broncos players have been paying this year:
Unnecessary Roughness (The Catch-All)
For things like late hits or "striking/kicking," the base fine starts around $12,172. If a player like Amon-Ra St. Brown or a Broncos defender does it again, it jumps to $17,968.
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Impermissible Use of the Helmet
This is the big one. The NFL wants this out of the game entirely. A first offense is typically $23,186. We saw Javonte Williams get hit with a massive $45,020 fine last season for this because he was considered a repeat offender.
Taunting
The "fun police" fine. If you stand over a guy or say too much, that’ll be $11,593, please.
Roughing the Passer
This usually lands at $17,389 for a first offense. It’s the most frustrating fine for fans because half the time, it looks like a clean hit.
Does the money actually go to the NFL?
This is a common misconception. The NFL doesn't just pocket this cash to buy more gold-plated desks for Roger Goodell.
By rule, all fine money is donated to the NFL Player Care Foundation and the Gene Upshaw Players Assistance Trust. Basically, the guys playing today are accidentally funding the healthcare and retirement funds of the guys who played forty years ago.
It’s a "pay it forward" system, though I doubt P.J. Locke was thinking about "philanthropy" when he was writing that check for his late hit.
The struggle for Sean Payton
Payton is a "details" guy. He hates the yardage loss more than the players hate the money loss. In that Commanders game, Bonitto’s penalty moved the ball half the distance to the goal and led to a touchdown.
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That’s the real sting.
When you look at the Broncos players fined NFL list, it’s mostly defenders. That tells you the team is aggressive, maybe too aggressive. It’s a fine line (pun intended) between playing "Broncos football" and being a liability to the salary cap and the win-loss record.
The team has lost more yardage to penalties than almost any other team in 2025. It’s a trend that usually kills a playoff run.
How players fight back
They don’t just take it lying down. Every player has the right to appeal. The cases are heard by "Appeals Officers"—usually former players like Art Shell or Derrick Brooks—who are jointly appointed by the league and the union.
Sometimes they win. Sometimes the fine is cut in half because the player "didn't have a history" or the hit was "unavoidable." But for the Broncos this year, the league has been sticking to their guns.
Practical takeaways for the rest of the season
If you’re a fan or just tracking the team’s progress, here is what to look for:
- Watch the helmet level: If you see a Bronco lower his head, start counting the money. The league is not letting that go.
- The "Roach" Factor: Malcolm Roach is a high-energy guy, but he needs to learn where the QB "landing zone" is. Another body-weight fine will cost him nearly $23k next time.
- Post-Whistle Discipline: Most of Denver’s fines happen after the play is technically over. If they can just stop "pulling guys off piles," they’ll save enough money to buy a small island.
If the Broncos want to be serious contenders in the AFC, the Saturday afternoon letters from the league office need to stop. Aggression is great. Paying the league $100k for "unnecessary" hits is just bad business.
Keep an eye on the Saturday "Gameday Accountability" reports. They usually drop around 4:00 PM ET. It’s the only time NFL fans actually care about accounting.
Next Steps for Fans: If you want to track these fines in real-time, you can check the NFL Gameday Accountability portal every Saturday. You can also monitor Spotrac's active fine tracker, which breaks down exactly how much of a player's salary is being "donated" to charity via these infractions. If you’re heading to a game, watch the defensive line—the league's new focus on "hip-drop tackles" means we might see a whole new wave of fines hitting the Broncos' secondary soon.