Nick Sirianni, Vrabel, Glenn Fined $250K Over Ref Conduct

Nick Sirianni yelling at officials is about as surprising as cheesesteaks in South Philly, but this time the NFL sent a bill. The league has fined Sirianni, New England's Mike Vrabel and the Jets' Aaron Glenn $250,000 each for their conduct toward game officials.

ESPN's Tim McManus confirmed the fines through sources on Thursday after Sports Illustrated first reported them Wednesday. The twist: the fines are temporarily on hold and can be repealed with good behavior, as the league tries to send a message to every coach about how they treat referees.

Why Nick Sirianni is the face of this

It was not immediately known when the fines were handed down or which specific incidents they stemmed from. But nobody in Philadelphia needs a refresher on Sirianni's sideline style. He has had animated run-ins with referees throughout his time as Eagles coach, and has had confrontations with fans and opposing players from time to time.

Eagles CEO Jeffrey Lurie even addressed it back in 2024. "I think, first of all, one of the aspects that makes Nick really good is he's authentic. He doesn't hold back. That also can be a negative at times," Lurie said. "On the sideline, you don't want to infuriate the referees. I always worry about, you know, I want the referees to give us a fair shake, so I don't want him to overreact. But I love his passion."

A quarter of a million dollars hanging over his head is a new kind of motivation to keep the headset on and the arms down. Eagles fans will be watching the sideline cam as closely as the field on Monday.

A message to the whole league

A suspended fine is an unusual move, and the size of it gets attention. Putting three head coaches on notice at once, with the money held over them instead of collected, tells every sideline in the league that the NFL is watching how coaches talk to its officials.

Vrabel is first up to test it. His Patriots visit the Bears on Thursday Night Football tonight. Glenn's Jets host the winless Dolphins on Sunday at MetLife Stadium.

Sirianni's next sideline

Philadelphia (2-4) is in a four-game skid and hosts the Dallas Cowboys on Monday Night Football at Lincoln Financial Field. The Eagles need a win badly, which is exactly the kind of night that tests a fiery coach's patience with a borderline flag. The good news for Philly is that Saquon Barkley, out with a hamstring injury, is expected to practice this week and play against Dallas, per ESPN sources.

Smacktok pick: lean higher on Barkley's carries Monday. He is expected back from the hamstring for a 2-4 team that needs to lean on its best player, and that is the cleanest way for Sirianni to keep his cool.