The comedian starred in a sketch that inspired Dowdle’s celebration
PublishedNovember 8, 2025 8:58 PM EST•UpdatedNovember 8, 2025 8:59 PM EST
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The NFL dishing out fines for celebrations is nothing new, but I don’t think I’ve ever seen one as meta as the one they gave to Panthers’ running back Rico Dowdle.
This week, Dowdle was fined for a celebration ripped straight from one of the most memorable Key & Peele sketches. The one where Keegan Michael Key plays football player Hingle McCringleberry, who gets penalized for celebrating with too many pumps.
Whoa, whoa. Didn’t they only do two pumps? Isn’t that legal per the rules put forth in the Key & Peele sketch?!
So, in summation, you had a guy getting fined by the NFL for doing a celebration that mocked the NFL for how ridiculously they scrutinize player celebrations.
It almost makes you want to lie down.
On Saturday, the Panthers added another layer to this when head coach Dave Canales told Dowdle they were still seeking clarification on the fine.
So, they called in an expert: Keegan Michael Key.
Key — who is probably still bumming out that his long-time gig as a James Franklin impersonator won’t get him any more trips to Happy Valley — addressed the team.
“I just want to say I’m very honored that you would choose a Key and Peele sketch for your celebration,” he said. “The reason I’m here is I wanted to share with you guys, especially with you, Rico, is that I’ve done my recent research and apparently, I guess the rules that are made up in a comedy sketch do not necessarily reflect the rules in the NFL.”
It’s great to see the organization having some fun with this “life imitates art” moment.
I don’t know about you, but this makes me want to go back and dig into the K&P archives. They’ve got some absolute classics.
I can’t even watch Sunday Night Football’s starting lineups without thinking of the legendary “East-West Bowl” sketches.
