Saints' Jordan: NFL slandered my name with fine for allegedly faking injury

New Orleans Saints defensive lineman Cameron Jordan said the NFL has given him a bad name after fining him $50,000 for allegedly faking an injury.

The NFL fined the Saints $350,000 for Jordan's alleged actions in last Monday's loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Head coach Dennis Allen was fined $100,000, while assistant coach Ryan Nielsen was docked $50,000.

"I feel like my name's low-key been slandered. Like I haven't played with more or less," Jordan said Monday, according to ESPN's Katherine Terrell.

The veteran pass-rusher went down and pointed at his leg on a Bucs' fourth-down attempt in the fourth quarter. He exited before returning to the game on Tampa Bay's next drive. Cameras reportedly caught Jordan receiving direction from the sideline to fake an injury.

Jordan said MRIs showed he suffered a mid-foot sprain. He added he plans to follow the Saints' lead in appealing the fine.

"In terms of how I play this game and how hard I play this game, I was like, 'Yo, if this was a civil lawsuit, I'd countersue for triple the amount,'" Jordan said.

He added: "You know my track record, you know I'll do everything I can to try to be on the field and try to be part of the team."

Jordan has played in 188 of a possible 190 games over his 12-year career. He missed his first contest due to injury this season, and a trip to the COVID-19 list cost him one appearance in 2021.