{"id":271863,"date":"2025-11-08T21:25:13","date_gmt":"2025-11-08T21:25:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/271863\/"},"modified":"2025-11-08T21:25:13","modified_gmt":"2025-11-08T21:25:13","slug":"keegan-michael-key-talks-to-panthers-after-dowdles-pump-fine","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/271863\/","title":{"rendered":"Keegan-Michael Key talks to Panthers after Dowdle’s pump fine"},"content":{"rendered":"

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David NewtonNov 9, 2025, 08:07 AM<\/p>\n

Close<\/a>David Newton is an NFL reporter at ESPN and covers the Carolina Panthers. Newton began covering Carolina in 1995 and came to ESPN in 2006 as a NASCAR reporter before joining NFL Nation in 2013.<\/p>\n

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Carolina Panthers<\/a> coach Dave Canales<\/a> surprised his players Saturday by having comedian Keegan-Michael Key clarify why the NFL fined<\/a> running back Rico Dowdle<\/a> $14,491 for his two pelvic-pump celebration in Sunday’s 16-13 upset of the Green Bay Packers<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Editor’s Picks<\/a><\/a><\/p>\n

1 Related<\/p>\n

“We’ve still got to get clarification on the rule, Rico, in case so [it happens again] … Let’s get an expert,” Canales said during the meeting. “Can we get Keegan-Michael Key to explain it to us?”<\/p>\n

The team burst into laughter as Key, whose “Key & Peele” comedy sketch on pelvic pumps first aired on Comedy Central in 2013 and who defended Dowdle<\/a> earlier this week, showed up on the big screen.<\/p>\n

Rico was pretty pumped to see him pic.twitter.com\/azDvoWgvEr<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 Carolina Panthers (@Panthers) November 8, 2025<\/a> <\/p>\n

Then Canales asked Dowdle to come to the front.<\/p>\n

“We want to be on it,” Canales said of the league rule that, Dowdle assumed, because of the sketch and what he’d seen other players do, made two pumps acceptable.<\/p>\n

Key said the reason he was asked to explain was that he had done research on the rule and came to a new conclusion<\/p>\n

“Apparently, I guess, the rules that are made up in a comedy sketch do not necessarily reflect the rules of the NFL,” he said.<\/p>\n

More laughter from players ensued.<\/p>\n

Key joked he did some math and confirmed $14,000 for two pumps equals $7,000 per pump, so if Dowdle does no pumps for his next celebration that would equal “zero thousand dollars in a fine.”<\/p>\n

More laughter.<\/p>\n

The comedian then introduced his wife, Elle Key, who announced the couple was going to donate $15,000 to Dowdle’s GoFundMe.<\/p>\n

Dowdle announced via social media after the NFL fined him $14,491 for the celebration that he was partnering with GoFundMe to use his fine money for charity.<\/p>\n

I have partnered with GoFundMe to put money for fines towards a greater cause!!… Click the link to learn more.https:\/\/t.co\/CFdO3HLHC2<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 Rico Dowdle (@ricodowdle) November 6, 2025<\/a> <\/p>\n

As of early Saturday afternoon, the fund had raised more than $27,000.<\/p>\n

“It was a joke at first,” Dowdle said Thursday as he explained the fine and the ensuing GoFundMe. “It turned into something much bigger … Thankfully, everybody was able to actually donate to a greater cause. Those kids are really needy people in the foundation.”<\/p>\n

When asked what he planned to do to celebrate if he scored Sunday against the New Orleans Saints<\/a>, Dowdle deadpanned: “Wait and see.”<\/p>\n