In a scene that looked straight out of Hulu’s Chad Powers, Arizona Cardinals running back Emari Demercado fumbled a potential 72-yard touchdown because he intentionally dropped the ball to celebrate in the Arizona Cardinals’ eventual 22-21 defeat to the Tennessee Titans on Sunday.
@tsn Cardinals RB Emari Demercado’s 72-yard touchdown was overturned after the replay review revealed that he dropped the ball at the goal line. 😬 (🎥: @NFL ♬ original sound – TSN
At the time, it seemed like the play wouldn’t have much of an impact on the game, as the Cardinals were leading 21-6 early in the fourth quarter. However, the play proved to be crucial in the aftermath of a game Arizona lost by one point.
In a video widely circulated on social media, head coach Jonathan Gannon can be seen bashing the running back for the mistake and getting into his face. It’s now been reported that Gannon took the chance on Monday to apologize to Emari Demercado for what he considered inappropriate behavior.
Cardinals HC Jonathan Gannon apologized to Emari Demercado during a team meeting Monday for his reaction after the running back let go of the football before crossing the goal line on what would’ve been a 72-yard touchdown.
Story via @joshweinfuss:https://t.co/eumfWzyUV5
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) October 7, 2025
Not all fans were happy with the apology, as they poured in their reactions to the apology tweet.
“Weak. He just lost the respect of the entire team. He should cut Emari. He’s at best average and he selfishly lost that game for the Cards,” wrote a fan.
“Per source, Gannon delivered a heartfelt apology, stating “I’m sorry you’re a f*cking idiot,” joked someone.
“He should apologize for his zero targets,” wrote another fan.
Some seem to think the running back could redeem himself.
“I could give the young man some grace but we saw superstar RB Johnathan Taylor do it this year! But we forgot about it and you know why, JT got right back into the endzone again and again. So this is what Emari needs to do, score TDs and it will be forgiven and forgotten,” explained another.
Others weren’t so ready to forgive or forget.
“For what? He cost bettors Thousands and his team maybe a chance at the playoffs down the road. Stupid decision to drop the ball,” complained a sports bettor.
“In a different era, Emari would have been on a bus back to his house already. These are professional football players not little league kids….,” claimed someone else.
What Did Jonathan Gannon Say To Emari Demercado?
According to ESPN, Jonathan Gannon spoke at a team meeting on Monday to publicly apologize to Emari Demercado for the treatment he gave him on Sunday. The coach later told ESPN:
“I woke up this morning and didn’t feel great about it, honestly. I just told [the team], I kind of let the moment of what happened get the better of me there. Obviously, I try to be emotionally stable and calm because my job is to solve problems during a game and lead the charge on that. So, it’s not really who I am, who I want to be, and I told the guys that today.
“So, it’s a mistake by me, and it’s just like everybody in there, everybody made some type of mistake yesterday, which culminates to why we didn’t win the game, and we can’t let it happen moving forward,” he added.
While there must always be a limit to the treatment players receive from coaches, the reality is that Demercado demonstrated a lack of maturity as a player and should also receive some punishment for such an unprofessional mistake that cost his team the victory.
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