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david newton
Charlotte, NC — carolina panthers coach dave canales Comedian Keegan-Michael Key surprised his players on Saturday with an explanation Why was the NFL fined? rushing back Rico Dowdle $14,491 for his two pelvic-pump celebrations in Sunday’s 16-13 upset green Bay Packers,
“We still have to get clarification on the rule, Rico, in a situation like this [it happens again] …Let’s get an expert,” Canales said during the meeting. “Can we get Keegan-Michael Key to explain it to us?”
The team burst into laughter as Key, whose “Key and Peele” comedy sketch on pelvic pumps first aired on Comedy Central in 2013 and who Dowdle defended Earlier this week, it appeared on the big screen.
Rico was very excited to see him pic.twitter.com/azDvoWgvEr
– Carolina Panthers (@Panthers) 8 November 2025
Canales then asked Dowdle to come forward.
“We want to stick to it,” Canales said of the league rule that, Dowdle acknowledged, made two pumps acceptable because of the sketch and what he had seen other players do.
Key said he was asked to explain that he had researched the rule and had come to a new conclusion
“Obviously, I think the rules that are made in comedy sketches don’t necessarily reflect the rules of the NFL,” he said.
More laughter started coming from the players.
Key joked that he did some math and confirmed that $14,000 for two pumps equals $7,000 per pump, so if Dowdle doesn’t do any pumps for his next celebration it would equate to “zero thousand dollars in fines.”
More laughter.
The comedian then introduced his wife, Elle Key, who announced that the couple were going to donate $15,000 to Dowdle’s GoFundMe.
Dowd announced via social media that the NFL had fined him $14,491 for the celebration and that he was partnering with GoFundMe to use the money from his fine for charity.
I’ve partnered with GoFundMe to put the fine money towards a great cause!!… Click the link to learn more.https://t.co/CFdO3HLHC2
– Rico Dowdle (@ricodowdle) 6 November 2025
As of Saturday afternoon, the fund had raised more than $27,000.
“It was a joke at first,” Dowdall said Thursday of the fine and the GoFundMe that followed. “It grew into something much bigger… Thankfully, everyone was able to donate to a really great cause. Those kids are really the ones in need of the foundation.”
When asked how he planned to celebrate if he scored a goal on Sunday against New Orleans SaintsDowdall said loudly: “Wait and see.”
