Arizona Cardinals running back Emari Demercado dropped the ball just short of crowning a 72-yard run with a score in the team’s 22-21 loss to the Tennessee Titans on Sunday - a play that brought about a heated response from head coach Jonathan Gannon.
Demercado is the latest in a recent line of NFL players who have fumbled the ball just short of the goal line. After the game, he took accountability for his fumble, which some believe ultimately cost the Cardinals a win (they led 21-6 before Demercado’s fumble led to the first of three Titans’ fourth-quarter scores).
"Just got to be smarter, it's as simple as that," Demercado stated, via Blake Niemann of Fox 10 Phoenix. "… I haven't [made a mistake like that before] but I guess it happens to the best of us, right?"
After the play, cameras caught Gannon appearing to yell at Demercado, but things went a step further when the third-year head coach appeared to have hit Demercado across the chest.
Now, Gannon is paying the price - literally - according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.
“Sources: Cardinals are fining HC Jonathan Gannon $100,000 for his sideline altercation with RB Emari Demercado, who dropped the football before crossing the goal line Sunday on what would've been a 72-yard touchdown run. There will be no further discipline for Gannon.”
Following that heated moment, Gannon says he didn’t feel good about the exchange. Speaking with reporters, he described what happened and said that he apologized to his player.
“I didn’t see the video, but, yeah, I actually… woke up this morning and didn’t feel great about it, honestly,” he said on Monday. “And, so, in a team meeting, I addressed it. I apologized to Emari. I apologized to the team. And I just told him I kind of let the moment of what happened get the better of me there.
“Obviously, like, I try to be emotionally stable and calm, because my job is to solve problems… during a game and kind of lead the charge on that,” he added. “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 is, you know, culminates to why we didn’t win the game. And we can't let it happen and move forward.”
The Cardinals lost to the Titans on Sunday, so on top of that embarrassing rant, Gannon had to deal with a loss too.
2025 NEWSWEEK DIGITAL LLC.