Miami Dolphins wide receiver Tyreek Hill promised to pay the lost wages of the photographer who was suspended by the NFL for filming his backflip selfie celebration video.
NFL photographer and content creator Kevin Fitzgibbons had his media credentials suspended for his part in the Tyreek Hill backflip selfie celebration video.
In a viral social media post, Fitzgibbons revealed that he was suspended by the NFL for at least the remainder of the season — and “possibly for good” — for taking part in Hill’s touchdown celebration video.
However, Hill now says that he intends to cover Fitzgibbons’ lost wages and pay the photographer’s salary.
“Me and K-Fitz, we’ve got a long history together,” Hill tells ESPN.
“The news is something that I already knew. I told him don’t let this get to you. Just hold your head up. You’re still young. Continue to do what you love. Me and him are going to continue to work together.
“I told him I was going to cover his salary, whatever the NFL was going to pay him or whatever.
“I told him I was going to make sure that I do what’s right and take care of you, make sure you’re not out of a job. That’s my guy.”
Fitzgibbons was hired in 2022 to cover Miami Dolphins’ home games which he continued into the 2023 regular season. The 20-year-old photographer describes it as a “dream job.”
TYREEK HILL SCORED THE TD, TOOK THE PHONE, DID A BACKFLIP AND TOOK A SELFIE 💀 pic.twitter.com/rYgJWgw2WJ
— JPAFootball (@jasrifootball) October 15, 2023
But, during a Dolphins game against the Carolina Panthers in October, Hill scored a touchdown and grabbed a phone from Fitzgibbons before performing a backflip while filming a selfie video.
The awesome POV video was posted to the NFL UK’s social media page before being deleted just minutes later. It is likely the NFL deleted the selfie video as Hill had violated the league’s celebration rules about external props and the Dolphins’ wide receiver got a penalty for the celebration.
The backflip selfie celebration video has amassed over six million views with the overwhelming majority sympathizing with the young cameraman.
“What is the good that comes from a decision like this?” Asks one X user. While many called the NFL the “No fun league.”
A petition on Change.org has been created to “Reinstate Kfitz as the NFL videographer at Hard Rock stadium.”