Pittsburgh Steelers coach Mike Tomlin was fined $25,000 by the NFL on Wednesday for criticizing the officiating after his team’s 41-17 victory over the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday, a source confirmed to ESPN.
Tomlin, a member of the NFL’s competition committee, had said on Tuesday he did not expect to be fined.
Asked about linebacker Bud Dupree‘s two face mask penalties in Sunday’s game, Tomlin said the calls looked legitimate, then hinted many more were not.
“But some of the other stuff, man, is a joke,” Tomlin said. “We gotta get better as a National Football League. Man, these penalties are costing people games and jobs. We gotta get ’em correct. And so I’m pissed about it, to be quite honest with you. But that’s all I’m gonna say on it.”
Sunday’s contest featured 14 penalties. Steelers linebackers T.J. Watt and Jon Bostic received flags for trying to make plays on Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan.
The news of Tomlin’s fine was first reported by USA Today Sports.