Cincinnati Bengals cornerback Adam "Pacman" Jones will appeal a $35,000 fine levied against him by the NFL for his altercation with Oakland Raiders wide receiver Amari Cooper, according to Geoff Hobson of Bengals.com.
Pacman Jones appealing $35,000 fine for Amari Cooper attack
Jones believes his scuffle with Amari Cooper has drawn more attention because of his checkered past.
Andrew Weber-USA TODAY Sports
Jones, 31, has come under fire after he removed Cooper’s helmet in a scuffle in Week 1 and then smashed the rookie receiver’s head into the helmet. While many have called for the cornerback to be suspended for his actions, the NFL rationalized that because Cooper wasn’t injured and the officials on the field assessed a 15-yard penalty, a fine is adequate punishment.
Still, Jones will appeal the fine and told reporters after the game that the fight with Cooper started after the rookie punched him in the throat.
The Bengals won the game, 33-13, with Cooper finishing the game with five receptions for 47 yards. Jones, a first-team All-Pro selection in 2014 for his punt returning, finished the game with 23 yards on two punt returns.
Jones previously earned a bad reputation for off-field incidents which included a suspension for the entire 2007 season. He told reporters on Wednesday that his altercation with Cooper wouldn’t be treated the same if he didn’t have a contentious past.
Adam Jones: it's magnified because it's me
— Geoff Hobson (@GeoffHobsonCin) September 16, 2015 Jones has stayed out of trouble for a few years now and has managed to avoid drawing fines. His last reported fine came early in the 2012 season when he was given a $15,750 penalty from the NFL for a horse-collar tackle of Washington running back Alfred Morris.
The Bengals will look to improve to 2-0 in a Week 2 home game against the San Diego Chargers.
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