Patriots' Julian Edelman Fined $63,504 for Unnecessary Roughness vs. Bills

The NFL fined New England Patriots wide receiver Julian Edelman $63,504 for three separate instances of unnecessary roughness in his team's 24-12 Week 16 victory over the Buffalo Bills, ESPN.com's Mike Reiss reported.

Reiss noted the fine represents about 40 percent of Edelman's Week 16 earnings. He earned $117,647 from his game check and $31,250 worth of roster bonuses.

According to Pro Football Talk's Michael David Smith, players can appeal fines that "are more than a quarter of their weekly pay for a first offense, or more than half of their pay for a second offense." As a result, Edelman may potentially see his fine reduced slightly since it totals more than half of his base pay.

Edelman was flagged for unnecessary roughness once against the Bills. With 5:39 left in the first quarter, he blocked Bills safety Siran Neal after having called for a fair catch. Reiss reported Edelman was guilty of two crackback blocks to warrant the retroactive punishments.

The Patriots clinched a 10th straight AFC East title in Week 16. They can secure the No. 2 seed in the AFC with a win Sunday over the New York Jets.