Kansas City Chiefs rookie Xavier Worthy was penalized for a touchdown celebration that has raised many questions about what he intended to convey through the gesture. After Worthy caught a pass from quarterback Patrick Mahomes, earning the Chiefs six points, he initially began a celebration in concert with fellow receiver Hollywood Brown, in which the two depicted themselves putting presents in a sack in the spirit of Christmas.
However, Worthy lifted the side of his shirt, exposing his abdomen, prompting the referee to throw a flag for unsportsmanlike conduct. Some on social media have suggested that Worhty was flagged because the celebration seemingly mimicked the motion of revealing a concealed firearm. The NFL has been stringently enforcing rules which prevent players from mimicking guns or other weapons in their celebrations.
The popular sports X account MLFootball wrote, “WILD: #Chiefs WR Xavier Worthy raised up his shirt and did NOT PULL OUT ANYTHING and the NFL refs assumed just assumed it was a gun motion. Worthy should not have been penalized for this.” The incident has sparked mixed reactions from users on social media, with some claiming the NFL is overreacting to the celebrations while others maintain the glorification of gun violence does not belong in the league.
One person wrote on X, “He should have been thrown out of the game. Glorifying gun violence, which is a huge problem particularly in the black community, is disgusting. Kids look up to him. He needs to set a better example. I get it. It’s a touchdown thing and blah blah but this ain’t it folks.” Pointing out the influence such conduct has on young and impressionable NFL fans, another person commented, “No room for the celebration. Got kids at the youth level doing it, high school as well.”
The American Tribune reported on other controversial firearm-related gestures involving the NFL, in which Beyonce made a finger gun during her Christmas Day halftime performance. Many reacted to the incident, calling the NFL hypocritical for showcasing Beyonce’s gesture, which undoubtedly received more attention than menial end zone celebrations from players, while penalizing the league’s athletes for similar conduct.
One person joked about the performance, “15 yard penalty on Beyoncé. Finger guns,” while sharing a gif of a referee’s flag being thrown on the field. Another person on X said, “Well, the NFL will be fining Beyoncé next week for those gun fingers.” Another comment pointed out, “Is the @NFL going to fine @Beyonce for finger guns?! #NFL #Beyonce #BeyonceBowl”
Conservative commentator Mario Nawfal weighed in on the matter, writing on X, “🚨🇺🇸 BEYONCÉ PLAYS WITH FIRE: NFL DOUBLE STANDARD GOES VIRAL Queen Bey’s tone-deaf finger gun display at Netflix’s Christmas game highlights celebrity privilege, while NFL players get fined for basic touchdown celebrations.”
Watch Worthy’s celebration below:
Watch Beyonce’s finger gun here:
Note: The featured image is a screenshot from the embedded video.
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