Houston Texans cornerback Jaylin Smith’s fine has been reduced to $6,223 after an appeal, according to a report cited by heavy.com. The original $7,779 penalty involved an unauthorized shoe logo seen while players warmed up before a preseason matchup with the Las Vegas Raiders. The logo itself has not been identified.
Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2 reported the decision Sept. 12, before Houston’s regular-season opener against the Buffalo Bills. The NFL classified the matter as Smith’s first offense and said he had a chance to fix the uniform issue, while still finding that a smaller fine was appropriate. The league lists first-offense uniform penalties for items including socks, jerseys and undergarments at $5,971.
A first unauthorized-logo or intellectual-property violation can reach $11,941.
Smith might qualify to have the money returned under a policy the NFL Players Association announced in August. The policy allows players with one offense in qualifying categories to receive the entire fine at season’s end, although the NFLPA did not specify those categories. Because the incident happened on the playing surface during warmups, the report said it could be covered as on-field conduct.
Smith must have no additional applicable infraction through the rest of the 2026 regular season, but the policy’s exact treatment of this penalty remains unclear.
