After the Eagles demolished the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl LIX, the NFL fined linebacker Jalyx Hunt $5,690 for celebrating a sack on Patrick Mahomes by mimicking an archer's bow-and-arrow gesture at the Superdome in New Orleans.
The NFL deemed Hunt's celebration a "violent gesture" under the league's unsportsmanlike conduct policy, a decision that didn't sit well with "It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia" star Rob McElhenney. Apart from Hunt's last name being an apt explanation for the celebration, the rookie's gesture was an homage to the sack celebration long performed by former Eagles defensive end Trent Cole.
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McElhenney, who was among the celebrity Eagles fans in attendance at the Super Bowl, offered to pay Hunt's fine in a post Sunday on X, formerly Twitter.
Hey @jalyx_hunt if this is true hit me up.
Sorry, to clarify… do not hit me. DM me.
I’ll pay this fine. Worth every penny. https://t.co/9mUSD5WUdI— Rob McElhenney (@RMcElhenney) February 16, 2025
When Hunt saw the offer, he countered with another suggestion. He said he'd pay the fine himself, but would love to see McElhenney donate the same amount to a charity he learned about from his barber. Hunt shared a link to a crowdfunding page that's raising money to cover college tours for students at Boys' Latin of Philadelphia High School in Cobbs Creek. The page, organized by Barbers Who Care Inc., says it costs as much as $35,000 to send a group of 40 students on college visits.
McElhenney was more than happy to oblige and shared a screenshot of the donation he made to the charity. By late Monday morning, McElhenney's exchange with Hunt had spurred a rush of donations from fans that pushed the campaign past its $20,000 goal.
Done ✅ #FlyEaglesFly pic.twitter.com/1fvCR9HGMk
— Rob McElhenney (@RMcElhenney) February 16, 2025
Although Hunt said he would pay the NFL's fine, there's a chance he could still appeal the league's decision and win. During the regular season, the NFL fined Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Andrei Iosivas $5,305 for making the same bow-and-arrow gesture after scoring a touchdown against the Chiefs. Iosivas appealed the fine and won the case.
“I said, 'Look, they do it for archery … they shoot it up in the air for celebrations,” Iosivas said. “There's a lot of evidence there that it's not violent. I wasn't shooting it at anybody. There was no malicious intent at all behind it."
Iosivas also indicated that the NFL might adjust its celebration rules in response to the appeal Any changes under consideration apparently did not apply to the Super Bowl. Notably, Hunt was not penalized for unsportsmanlike conduct after the sack celebration. He also didn't direct the imaginary arrow at any other players.
Hunt wasn't the only Eagles player to be fined for a celebration during the Super Bowl. Defensive lineman Milton Williams was hit with a $14,069 fine for dunking the ball over the goalpost after his strip-sack of Mahomes in the fourth quarter. The Eagles sacked Mahomes six times in the 40-22 rout.
When the NFL fines players for conduct violations, the proceeds typically support initiatives for player safety at all levels of the sport. In this case, Hunt and McElhenney teamed up to further the education of students at a local high school. The fundraiser will be open for another few weeks.