No rescinded penalty for Adam Jones

CINCINNATI -- Bengals cornerback Adam Jones' $35,000 fine stemming from his altercation involving Oakland Raiders receiver Amari Cooper in the season opener has been upheld by the NFL.

Jones posted on social media Friday that the league had affirmed the fine earlier this month.

He appealed the penalty as soon as the initial letter from the league arrived following the Sept. 6 game. The league fined him after cameras caught Jones forcing off Cooper's helmet during a scuffle at the end of a long run in the second quarter. While Jones and other Bengals defenders were chasing down Raiders running back Jamize Olawale on a 60-yard run that was ultimately negated by a holding penalty, Jones was being pushed in the face mask and throat by Cooper.

The Bengals cornerback apparently took exception to the rookie receiver's tactics. As the play was ending and he caught up to Cooper, Jones ended up going to the ground with the receiver before getting on top of him. While above Cooper, Jones ripped off Cooper's helmet and grabbed the sides of his head, slamming it once into the helmet.

At the time, Jones said he let his emotions and the tense moment get the best of him.

"Whatever you saw happen, that's what happened," Jones said after the game. "I'm just here to play football. I don't back down from anybody, and I'm not out here trying to start anything. I'm just out here playing football."

Jones posted to Instagram a picture of the letter the NFL sent him and his agent to inform them that the fine for unnecessary roughness was being upheld.

In the body of the letter, the NFL indicated that Jones took ownership of his actions but argued that the fine should have been reduced or rescinded because he was provoked into the confrontation.

This is the fourth time Jones has been fined in his career and the second time he has been fined since joining the Bengals in 2010. In all, he has now forfeited more than $1.7 million in fines to the league since 2007.