Houston Texans cornerback Jaylin Smith’s fine was reduced from $7,779 to $6,223 following an appeal, according to a report cited by heavy.com. The penalty stemmed from an unauthorized shoe logo seen during pregame warmups at a preseason matchup with the Las Vegas Raiders. The logo’s identity was not disclosed.
Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2 reported the decision Sept. 12, one day before Houston’s regular-season opener against the Buffalo Bills. It was Smith’s first offense. The NFL said he had a chance to fix the uniform issue, but determined that a reduced fine still applied.
The league lists a $5,971 penalty for a first uniform violation involving items including socks, jerseys or undergarments. A first unauthorized-logo or intellectual-property violation can bring a fine of as much as $11,941.
An NFL Players Association policy announced in August may allow players with one offense in qualifying categories to receive the entire fine back after the season. The union did not specify those categories. Since Smith’s incident took place on the playing surface during warmups, it may qualify under the policy’s on-field conduct provision.
The policy’s application to this fine remains unclear, and Smith would have to avoid another applicable infraction through the rest of the 2026 regular season.