The Arizona Cardinals had everything lined up. A game-winning touchdown run and a six points to steal a road victory. Then Emari Demercado did the unthinkable.
Emari Demercado's Goal-Line Disaster Shows Players Still Haven't Learned
Emari Demercado’s Goal-Line Disaster Shows Players Still Haven’t Learned (Screenshot Via X/@NFLonCBS)
The running back fumbled the football just before crossing the goal line, a moment that stunned the entire football world. The Cardinals lost by one point, and social media went completely nuts.
This wasn’t just a costly mistake. It was a recurring nightmare across the NFL, and fans are sick of watching players throw away touchdowns for style points.
Emari Demercado’s Goal-Line Disaster Shows Players Still Haven’t Learned
Demercado broke through the defense with nothing but green grass ahead. The end zone waited just steps away. Victory was there for the taking.
Then hedropped the ball at the 1-yard line. Just let it go before crossing the plane.
IT HAPPENED AGAIN 😱
Cardinals have a 72-yd TD taken off the board pic.twitter.com/BMDvEYklhC
— NFL on CBS 🏈 (@NFLonCBS) October 5, 2025
Officials ruled it a fumble through the end zone, giving the 49ers possession. And it was game over for the away team. The Cardinals left the field with a loss that should never have happened.
Demercado finished the game with 15 carries for 80 yards. None of that mattered after the blunder. The Cardinals fell to 2-3 on the season while the 49ers improved to 3-2.
This exact scenario has played out multiple times in recent NFL history. Players celebrate early, drop the ball before scoring, and lose touchdowns and sometimes games. NFL fans have seen this movie before, and the ending never changes.
NFL Fans Absolutely Destroy Cardinals RB For Inexcusable Mistake
The reaction online was swift and merciless. Fans didn’t hold back on Demercado or the epidemic of premature celebrations across the league.
One fanwrote, “I’d cut him immediately. With that said, I still think this is a td.”
Anotheradded, “how do they not learn, this happens way to often at the pro level, never once saw this bs in high school 🤦♂️ it’s like they’re allergic to the ball the way they get rid of it as soon as possible.”
A third fandemanded accountability: “Teams need to start cutting players immediately after the games if they do this.”
A fourthasked the question everyone was thinking: “Why tf do players do this I really don’t understand it.”
The frustration wasn’t just about Demercado. It’s about a pattern. Players at the highest level of football keep making the same preventable errors that high school coaches beat out of their players on day one.
Demercado now joins an unfortunate list of players who let showboating cost their teams crucial points. The Cardinals needed that touchdown.
Instead, they learned why you finish the play before celebrating. Fans made sure that lesson came with maximum humiliation.