It’s not easy to get fined in a game that you don’t even play in, but somehow, Jadeveon Clowney managed to pull off that feat during Houston’s 20-17 loss to the Titans on Sunday. 

According to NFL.com, Clowney was fined a total of $10,026. The twist here is that Clowney got hit with the fine even though he was inactive for the game. The Texans decided to keep him on the bench due to the fact that he was dealing with injuries to both his back and elbow. 

So how do you get fined when you’re not even playing?

By talking trash. 

During the fourth quarter of Tennessee’s win, the Titans were on the move in a game that the Texans were leading 17-14. On a first-and-10 play from their own 25, Titans quarterback Blaine Gabbert threw a pass to tight end Luke Stocker that went for an 11-yard gain. 

On the play, Stocker got knocked out of bounds, and that’s when things got ugly. Not only did Clowney appear to trash-talk Stocker, but he also bumped the Titans tight end. 

As soon as the bump happened, an official threw a flag on Clowney for unsportsmanlike conduct. 

The penalty proved to be a costly one because the Texans gave up 15 yards and Clowney lost out on roughly $10,000. The flag also came at a horrible time for the Texans. The penalty ended up moving the Titans into Houston territory. Tennessee got the ball at the 49-yard line on a drive that eventually ended when Titans kicker Ryan Succop hit a game-tying 42-yard field goal. 

Clowney actually got asked about the penalty this week, but he was clearly in no mood to talk about it. 

If Clowney earns a fine this week, it will be for something he actually does on the field. The Texans pass rusher expects to play on Sunday against the Giants after being a full participant in practice on Friday.