New York, NY – The NFL has officially stepped in after a controversial tackle that set both the New England Patriots and New York Jets on fire. Jets cornerback Jarvis Brownlee Jr. has been hit with a hefty fine for his WWE-style slam on Stefon Diggs at Gillette Stadium, and more importantly, the league has opened a separate investigation to determine whether the hit was simply an excessive football play or a calculated act of personal retaliation.

According to a statement from the NFL’s disciplinary office, Brownlee has been fined $18,620 for unnecessary roughness / late hit on Diggs in the Week 11 opener. The baseline fine for a first late-hit offense under the collective bargaining agreement is $11,593, but because Brownlee is a

repeat offender within the same season, the amount was increased.

Earlier this year, in the season opener while still playing for the Tennessee Titans against the Denver Broncos, Brownlee was fined

$5,808 for a facemask penalty. Picking up a second fine in less than three months has pushed him into the league’s informal “heightened monitoring” category.

Although he was fined, Brownlee was not suspended. However, the NFL emphasized the “unnecessary and dangerous” nature of the hit and warned that any similar incident could lead to a suspension.

The incident occurred less than nine minutes into the Jets–Patriots game. Drake Maye fired an 8-yard pass to Stefon Diggs, who has become a cornerstone of New England’s offense after signing a three-year, $63.5 million deal before the season. As he has done so often, Diggs made the catch and tried to churn out a few extra yards.

Brownlee quickly closed in and wrapped Diggs up around the upper body. But instead of simply driving him to the ground, he flipped Diggs and slammed him into the turf at Gillette Stadium in a move that looked straight out of a WWE ring. Officials immediately threw a flag, hitting the Jets with a 15-yard penalty for unnecessary roughness – but the outrage from the Patriots’ sideline and across social media made it clear the story wouldn’t end with a yellow flag.

“We have to decide whether we’re really protecting players or not, and it starts with plays like that,” one Patriots staffer said anonymously. “He didn’t need to throw Diggs down like that. Football is already violent enough.”

NFL opens probe into possible “retaliation”

What surprised many was that the league’s statement did not stop at the fine. A note at the end confirmed that the NFL is

opening a supplemental investigation into the broader context around the play, including “prior interactions between the two players, on-field verbal exchanges, and any indications that this was a deliberate act of personal retaliation.”

Sources say the league’s disciplinary department will:

• Review all snaps and matchups between Brownlee and Diggs from the start of the game.

• Check mic’d-up and on-field audio, where available, for any threats or comments suggesting someone was “going to get him back.”

• Interview game officials and supervisors about the level of tension between the two sides prior to the hit.

Some inside the Patriots’ building believe the slam was more than just an emotional play. Diggs had previously made a big catch right in front of Brownlee, followed by a celebration and some trash talk. “If you watch the tape, you can see it getting hotter every snap,” a Patriots source said.

On the Jets’ side, the organization has been careful but firm in defending its player. The head coach said:

“We accept the NFL’s decision. It was a play that went over the line, and Jarvis understands that. But from everything I know about him, there was no personal vendetta against Stefon Diggs. Jarvis is a physical player, but he’s not out there trying to hurt people.”

Brownlee also released a brief statement through the team:

“I play with a lot of emotion, and on that snap, I went too far. I apologize to Stefon and to my fellow players across the league. But I did not go into that play trying to retaliate or injure him. I accept the fine and I’ll adjust how I play.”

Under league rules, Brownlee has the right to appeal the fine through the NFLPA, but it is not yet clear whether he plans to do so.

Stefon Diggs, the player on the receiving end of the slam, struck a calmer tone rather than escalating the drama.

“I don’t want to see anybody lose money, but we’ve got to protect players,” Diggs said. “I can’t read his heart, I don’t know if that was retaliation or not. I just know it was a play that didn’t need to happen. Hopefully everybody learns from it and we move forward.”

His response helped cool things down somewhat, especially in the context of a Patriots–Jets rivalry that has, in the past, spilled into toxic territory off the field—from the days of Bill Parcells and Bill Belichick to the Spygate saga.

By increasing Brownlee’s fine and launching a deeper probe, the NFL is once again sending a familiar but increasingly firm message: playing physical is not a license for plays that could end someone’s career in a single second.

Depending on the outcome of the retaliation investigation, Brownlee may walk away with only a financial penalty, or he could receive a formal disciplinary warning added to his record. Either way, his name—and that WWE-style slam on Diggs—will almost certainly be cited in future discussions about the thin line between high-intensity football and reckless danger.