You gotta be kidding me. On the very first play of the Eagles-Jaguars game over in London, a 90-yard touchdown return by Jaguars rookie Josh Cameron got absolutely wiped off the board, and not one, but *two* players got ejected from the game. All this before the opening kickoff even finished!
The Play That Vanished In Yellow
Jaguars rookie Josh Cameron, dude takes the opening kickoff from his own 10-yard line, makes some moves, and sprints 90 yards for what looked like a house call! The first touchdown of the game! Except, yeah, no. The yellow laundry was flying all over Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. There were so many flags, head umpire Ron Torbert had to take several minutes just to sort through the mess and explain to everyone what the heck happened. Imagine thinking you just saw an opening kickoff score, only for it to disappear into a sea of penalties. Brutal.
Double Ejections Before The First Snap
Turns out, the Eagles got popped for an illegal formation on the kickoff itself, and the Jaguars were flagged for holding on Cameron’s return. But the real chaos? Jaguars defensive end Bryan Thomas Jr. and Eagles linebacker Jeremiah Trotter Jr. got into a brief scuffle, both were hit with unsportsmanlike conduct penalties, and BOOM, ejected from Sunday’s contest. First play. Can you believe it? And get this, it runs in the family: Trotter Jr.’s dad, also Jeremiah Trotter, was ejected back in 2005 *before* a season opener even got underway after a fight during pregame warmups with Atlanta Falcons cornerback Kevin Mathis. Wild.
This NFL Season Is A Flag Fest
Honestly, what happened in London on that opening kickoff is just a microcosm of what we’re seeing across the entire NFL right now. This season has been a penalty-palooza. Just last week, there were a mind-boggling 271 total penalties called league-wide. That’s the second-most penalties ever in a single week dating all the way back to 1950. We’ve already racked up 963 penalties in just the first four weeks of the season. This isn’t just a bad call or two, this is a systemic issue, and it’s making the games harder to watch.
So yeah, a 90-yard touchdown gone, two players tossed, and the season’s only just getting going. If this kind of chaotic, penalty-filled officiating is the norm, fans everywhere need to brace themselves. Something’s gotta give before this becomes the identity of the league.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by CBS Sports.
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