It’s been a whirlwind season for the Cincinnati Bengals, and not in the way fans had hoped. After dropping to 4-8, the Bengals rallied to win their last five games of the regular season to ignite faint hopes of making the postseason. However, after a second-string Chiefs were routed by the Broncos, Joe Burrow and his teammates were left to reflect on what could’ve been. Head coach Zac Taylor sprang into action firing four coaches, as his own future remains clouded. But even as their season ends, the misery isn’t over for his team.

Before their postseason hopes officially ended, the Bengals held up their end of the bargain. Led by Burrow’s 277 yards and a touchdown, they managed to see off the Steelers 19-17. The next day the Jets managed to topple Miami, but the Broncos’ resounding win over the Chiefs, confined the Bengals to a second season without the playoffs. But there is more bad news for them coming from Week 18 as the NFL slapped two of its players with massive fines.

The NFL has fined Germaine Pratt a $22,511 fine for Unnecessary Roughness after he used his helmet to hit Steelers running back Najee Harris in the fourth quarter. Notably, this is the most expensive fine for Week 18. It’s Pratt’s second fine of the year, having been penalized $16,883 for a hip-drop tackle in the Week 14 win against the Dallas Cowboys.

Pratt finished the game against the Steelers with five tackles and a tackle for loss as the Bengals defense held Pickens to one catch and zero yards. Pratt signed a three-year, $20.25 million extension prior to the 2023 season and looks set to return next season.