Maxwell says taunting fine ‘was bull;’ insists he was saying hello to Bills chaplain

Count Dolphins cornerback Byron Maxwell among the growing number of players who believe the NFL’s fines policy has gone too far.

The league slapped Maxwell with a $9,115 taunting fine for pointing to the Bills’ sideline late in the Dolphins’ win over Buffalo.

But Maxwell insists he was not trying to show up the Bills’ bench, but instead was simply saying hello to fellow Clemson Tiger James Trapp, a retired player who now serves as Buffalo’s team chaplain.

“My fine was bull,” Maxwell told the Miami Herald. “I was just saying, ‘Hello, what's up?’”

Maxwell intents to appeal the fine, but isn’t particularly optimistic. His appeal of a previous fine still has not been resolved.

“I feel like you're fining me for nothing,” Maxwell said. “You're fining me for things that are part of the game. I'm not twisting nobody's ankle, stomping. I'm not doing anything like that. These are part of the game you're fining me for. It feels like you're just trying to take my money.”

Some have tied the league’s declining ratings to the NFL’s overly punitive attitude.

Maxwell wouldn’t go that far, but believes the league needs to cut down on the celebration flags.

“They've got to let guys express their emotions when they score,” Maxwell said. “They might take it a little bit too far, but that makes the game fun. People want to watch it.”

This story was originally published November 1, 2016 at 2:04 PM with the headline "Maxwell says taunting fine ‘was bull;’ insists he was saying hello to Bills chaplain."