Steve McLendon had the play of the game for the Bucs during Monday night’s win against the Giants. He recorded the first interception of his career in the third quarter, becoming the second oldest player in the NFL to record their first pick at age 35.
That interception came with a price though. Tom Pelissero of the NFL Network reports that McLendon was fined $6,736 for taunting in his post-pick celebration.
The NFL also fined #Bucs DT Steve McLendon $6,736 for unsportsmanlike conduct in last week’s win over the #Giants.
The crackdown on taunting continues.
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) November 27, 2021
The NFL has put more of an emphasis on taunting this year, which no one, including yours truly, seems to support. The Bucs have been on both ends of taunting penalties this year. Mike Edwards was penalized after his second pick-six in a win over the Falcons in Week 2. That one was meaningless in a blow out win. But a few weeks later, Devin White picked up a huge flag in a loss to the Saints.
However, Tampa Bay was the beneficiary of a taunting penalty against the Eagles. After a Leonard Fournette run, the Bucs running back drew a flag that helped set up the team’s clock-killing drive to win the game.
McLendon’s situation is a new one though. He’s the first Buc to be fined specifically for taunting this season. Seems like it was worth it for what was a highlight play. It’s not every game you see a defensive lineman get an interception, let alone the first of their career after 12 years in the league.
The Bucs play again at 1:00 PM ET this Sunday against the Colts on the road.