The Texans-Jaguars fight overpowered the NFL's fine system

Last Sunday's ugly incident between the Texans and Jaguars, sparked by the knockout blow applied to linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair to a sliding Trevor Lawrence, should have resulted in a broad array of fines for the fight that broke out after the hit.

Ultimately, only Jaguars tight end Evan Engram was fined. Not even Al-Shaair — who per the league "escalated [the fight] when [he] pulled an opponent down to the ground by his facemask — was separately punished for his actions during what was a pair of altercations. (The list of Al-Shaair infractions over the past several years includes an unsportsmanlike conduct foul for last Sunday, but no fine.)

Per a source with knowledge of the situation, the folks responsible for meting out punishment decided it wouldn't be fair to impose fines for the aftermath of one specific incident. It was the hit and Engram's shove of Al-Shaair that sparked everything.

On one hand, it makes sense. On the other hand, it's arguably a mistake, because it sends a message to all teams.

Once a significant incident happens and the battle is joined, have at it!

Moreover, the outcome required conscious disregard of the rules and past precedent. It also sets a new precedent that will potentially become part of the appeals process moving forward. A player who is fined for a fracas that stems from some other incident can argue that, if it wasn't fair to fine everyone who got involved in a pair of fights last Sunday, it's not fair to fine them, either.