Houston Texans cornerback Jaylin Smith’s fine was lowered to $6,223 from $7,779 after an appeal, according to a report cited by heavy.com. The NFL penalty stemmed from an unauthorized shoe logo that could be seen while Smith warmed up before a preseason matchup with the Las Vegas Raiders. The logo has not been identified in the available report.
Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2 reported the decision Sept. 12, one day before Houston opened its regular season against the Buffalo Bills. The league considered the matter Smith’s first offense and said he had an opportunity to fix the uniform issue, but determined that a reduced fine was still appropriate.
NFL figures list $5,971 for first-time uniform violations involving items such as socks, jerseys and undergarments. A first offense involving an unauthorized logo or intellectual-property violation can result in a fine of as much as $11,941.
An NFL Players Association policy announced in August could potentially allow Smith to receive the money back after the season. The policy permits players with one offense in eligible categories to receive a full reimbursement, though those categories were not specified. The report said the field-level warmup incident might qualify as on-field conduct.
Smith would have to avoid another covered violation through the rest of the 2026 regular season, and it remains unclear whether the policy applies to this fine.
