Yahoo Finance NFL Fines Dak Prescott $25K for Comments About Fans Throwing Trash at Refs After Cowboys Loss
Tom Pennington/Getty Dak Prescott
Dak Prescott has been slapped with a $25,000 fine following his comments supporting fans who threw trash at NFL referees as they walked off the field following Sunday's game.
NFL Network's Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero reported news of the fine on Thursday, four days after quarterback Prescott and the Dallas Cowboys fell 23-17 to the San Francisco 49ers during Sunday's wildcard playoff game.
Reps for Prescott and the Cowboys did not immediately respond to PEOPLE's request for comment regarding the fine.
At the end of Sunday's match, fans were seen throwing bottles and other items onto the field, some of which hit Cowboys defensive end DeMarcus Lawrence. In a post-game interview, Prescott, 28, initially said the fan reaction was "sad" and criticized how his fellow teammates were treated.
However, when a reporter pointed out that the referees — who were exiting the field at the time — were the intended targets, the quarterback said, "Credit to them then. Credit to them."
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On Tuesday, Prescott released a statement on the "mistake," apologizing and saying it was an emotional, immediate reaction to losing the game.
"I deeply regret the comments I made regarding the officials after the game on Sunday. I was caught up in the emotion of a disappointing loss and my words were uncalled for and unfair," the professional football player wrote on Twitter.
"I hold the NFL Officials in the highest regard and have always respected their professionalism and the difficulty of their jobs," he continued. "The safety of everyone who attends a game or participates on the field of a sporting event is a very serious matter."
"That was a mistake on my behalf, and I am sorry," the posts concluded.
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Ahead of his apology, the athlete was admonished for his words on social media, as many accused Prescott of encouraging fans to throw trash at referees.
Stephen Jones, executive vice president for the Cowboys, also denounced the actions of the fans in the stands, according to ESPN.
"That is just unfortunate," Jones said Monday on 105.3 The Fan. "That is not the way I see our fans. I think we're a class act. I think there is no place for things like that.
"Understand people being frustrated, but I don't understand throwing things onto the field where people could get injured. There's just no place for that," he stressed.
