5 most ridiculous reasons the NFL has fined players for

There are NFL fines every week for various reasons, and let's face it, most of those fines are really deserved, especially when it involves the safety of the players.

But the NFL has also done an awful job enforcing discipline on some of its players over the years. Sometimes it even looks like Roger Goodell and the owners have embraced the No Fun League — look no further than this year's taunting rule.

Check out some of the most ridiculous reasons why the NFL has handed fines to players.

Ridiculous fines handed by the NFL: top 5

#1 - Ryan Clark's black eye

Clark played with former Washington safety Sean Taylor in 2004 and 2005 before moving over to the Pittsburgh Steelers. Taylor was brutally murdered during the 2007 NFL season. After his death, the league honored him during every game of the subsequent week.

A year later, Clark wore black eyes with the number 21 written on them as a way to honor his friend. The NFL threw away all kinds of decency on that one and fined the then-Steelers player for a uniform-related rules violation. Way to go, NFL.

#2 - Brandon Marshall's green shoes

Speaking of uniform-related violations that don't really make sense, Brandon Marshall was another one of the NFL's victims in this regard.

The wide receiver was diagnosed with borderline personality disorder in 2011, a discovery that, he says, changed his entire approach to life and the game. Marshall wore bright green Nike cleats in Week 6 of the 2013 NFL season to bring attention to the mental health cause, and he was fined afterwards. He later matched his fine to a charity cause.

San Francisco 49ers v Los Angeles Rams

#3 - Colin Kaepernick's Beats by Dre

The NFL has painted the entire league pink during the October months in recent years, and they've given great support to breast cancer awareness.

Colin Kaepernick was a victim of the league's fines, but not for the reasons you might think when you hear his name. Kaepernick wore a pink headset during one of his press conferences in 2014 to help raise awareness for the cause.

The problem? Kaepernick was sponsored by Beats by Dre, and the NFL was officially sponsored by Bose. The league imposed a $10,000 fine on the San Francisco 49ers.

#4 - Frank Gore's low socks

Gore, the legendary running back who's still active today at the age of 38, was twice fined in 2012 because of uniform-related violations, with fines amounting to $15,000. His violation? Wearing his socks too low.

The second instance where this happened, by the way, was the NFC Championship Game where the San Francisco 49ers beat the Atlanta Falcons and qualified for the Super Bowl.

#5 - Troy Polamalu's call to his wife

Football's a violent game, and we have tons of examples where accidents can happen, some of them more scary than the others. Concussions and head injuries always top the list.

Troy Polamalu suffered a concussion during a 2011 game and decided to call his wife to tell her he was fine after the injury, so he borrowed a Steelers doctor's cellphone to call his wife. It's a normal thing to do in relationships, but the league decided to fine him because using a cellphone on the sidelines is not allowed.