The NFL admitted on Tuesday that Kansas City Chiefs defensive back Husain Abdullah should not have been penalized for going to the ground after returning an interception for a touchdown against the New England Patriots on Monday.
NFL rules prohibit players from going to the ground to celebrate, but there is an exemption for players who are praying. The official who flagged Abdullah must not have realized what he was doing.
“The officiating mechanic in this situation is not to flag a player who goes to the ground as part of religious expression, and as a result, there should have been no penalty on the play,” NFL spokesman Michael Signora told ESPN’s Ed Werder.
Abdullah, who is a devout Muslim, was under the impression he was penalized for sliding on his knees.
“For me, I just got a little too excited,” he said. “I think it was for the slide.”
Fortunately for the NFL, the game was a blowout and the 15-yard unsportsmanlike conduct penalty didn’t mean much. Had the game been close, there would have been a lot more uproar.
