In the New England Patriots ' game against the Jacksonville Jaguars on Sunday, at 13:23 of the third quarter, Jaguars safety Antonio Johnson drew a penalty in bizarre fashion, punching Patriots running back Rhamondre Stevenson as Stevenson was already down after a 3-yard gain. Johnson appears to tell officials that he was punching at the ball in Stevenson's hands, but he nonetheless drew a 15-yard flag and will likely be hit with further punishment from the league office as well.
The penalty came on a fourth-and-1 New England conversion that already moved the chains. The personal foul then handed the Patriots a fresh set of downs early in the third quarter.
Stevenson took a handoff up the middle at EverBank Stadium and picked up 3 yards to midfield, where Ventrell Miller brought him down. Officials then flagged Johnson for unnecessary roughness, enforcing 15 yards from the 50 and handing New England a first down.
Johnson "tried to punch the ball out, but got all of Rhamondre Stevenson's helmet," according to PatriotsOnSI reporter Ethan Hurwitz's live account from the field. No second personal foul followed, so Johnson avoided the ejection that comes with a pair of unsportsmanlike calls in one game.
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The break didn't last. Patriots tight end Cameron Latu drew a false start on the next snap, New England's sixth penalty of the day, undoing some of the field position Johnson had just handed them. Jacksonville led 14-3 at the half, according to the CBS Sports live game tracker , with the flag arriving early in the third quarter.
A fine for Johnson certainly looks likely. But not a suspension, since nothing in the live reporting described any escalation, just a mistimed swing or two at the ball.
The NFL's 2026 accountability fine schedule sets specific penalties for on-field conduct: a first striking offense runs $12,172, unsportsmanlike conduct runs $14,491, and fighting escalates to $40,686. Which bracket applies depends on whether the league treats the swing as a strike at the ball or a broader sportsmanship violation.
There's already a Patriots-flavored precedent. Stevenson drew a $12,172 fine in December for striking Buffalo linebacker Matt Milano in a scuffle, reported by ESPN insider Mike Reiss's report . Fines typically post the following Saturday, and players can appeal.
Johnson isn't a stranger to the ledger. Spotrac 's records list a $5,503 fine from October 2024 for an excessive facemask against Chicago .
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Sunday's flag adds to a habit that's grown with his workload. NFL Penalties tracker data shows Johnson with six accepted penalties for 59 yards over three seasons, including a 2024 roughing-the-passer call and an unnecessary roughness flag last December against Denver .
Jacksonville took the East St. Louis, Illinois, native in the fifth round, 160th overall, out of Texas A&M in 2023, according to the team's own draft-day announcement . He'd earned first-team All-SEC honors in College Station before signing a four-year, $4.14 million rookie deal.
The 24-year-old had grown into 47 career games through 2025 with 148 tackles, three sacks and seven interceptions, including a pick-six against Cam Ward last season, according to NFL.com's official career statistics page .
Stevenson wasn't the engine of New England's offense when Johnson's hand found his helmet. TreVeyon Henderson had already outpaced him on the ground, according to ESPN 's official halftime box score , which had Henderson at 8 carries for 23 yards against Stevenson's 3 for 9.
Stevenson added one catch for 2 yards on his only target. He'd also been stuffed at the 2-yard line earlier in the half, a stop that burned Jacksonville's final timeout.
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