Miami Dolphins wide receiver Tyreek Hill has said he is covering lost earnings for a photographer who was suspended by the NFL after Hill celebrated a touchdown.
NFL photographer Kevin Fitzgibbons posted on his social media channels on Tuesday that the NFL was suspending him for the remainder of the season “and possibly forever” for his role in Hill’s spectacular touchdown celebration in the Dolphins’ game against the Carolina Panthers in Week 6 has.
After the touchdown, Hill grabbed Fitzgibbons’ camera and did a backflip. The resulting video recording went viral on social media.
Fitzgibbons appreciated the situation and jumped up and down before leaving the field to send the video to the NFL. The latter is said to have been a bone of contention for the NFL. “The NFL let me know that I would be suspended for the remainder of the season and possibly permanently. They said that regardless of whether I knew about the celebration in advance or not, I would have to be punished and that I would not be punished after the play Should have been hopping on the sideline.”
Hill was penalized for celebrating immediately after the game because he used a prop while celebrating. Even then, the Dolphins star explained that the photographer couldn’t do anything about the scene. “It’s just one of those things that just happens. I saw the camera and I just took it away from him and he didn’t want that. I just did it.”
Hill: “Will do the right thing”
Hill told reporters Thursday that he has known Fitzgibbons for a long time and: “I told him I would cover his salary that the NFL would have paid him otherwise. I told him I would do the right thing and I would take care of him “I’ll take care of it. I’ll make sure he doesn’t lose his job.”
ESPN, meanwhile, quoted an NFL source as saying that Fitzgibbons “remains a commissioned NFL employee, contrary to reports to the contrary.” And even though the source in question confirmed the photographer’s temporary ban, Fitzgibbons is still allowed to work on projects outside the stadium.
Fitzgibbons, 20, is a University of Miami student who has worked on personal projects for Hill and Saquon Barkley of the New York Giants, among others. He has officially worked for the NFL since 2022.