Eagles’ Bradberry admits to foul ref said was ‘clear’
GLENDALE, Ariz. — Having hope isn’t the same as having a plan.
The Eagles’ defense had a chance to get off of the field on third and 8 from their own 16-yard line late in the fourth quarter and get the ball back in quarterback Jalen Hurts’ hands with Super Bowl LVII against the Kansas City Chiefs tied, 35-35. But cornerback James Bradberry tugged on Chiefs wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster’s jersey in man coverage, and the officials nabbed him with a holding penalty, giving the Chiefs a fresh set of downs.
Bradberry said he knew he was guilty of the infraction. He didn’t begrudge the referee for calling it, but he had hoped the flag would stay in his pocket.
“I pulled the jersey,” Bradberry said. “They called holding. I was hoping they would let it ride.”
The holding penalty paved the way to a go-ahead field goal by Chiefs kicker Harrison Butker to earn Kansas City its third NFL championship by a 38-35 final score. Bradberry’s penalty with 1:54 left in the game marked the first and only defensive holding penalty of the game.
After the game, referee Carl Cheffers explained via pool report that as Smith-Schuster went to the inside and attempted to release to the outside, Bradberry grabbed his jersey with his right hand and restricted Smith-Schuster from his release.
There was no debate among the officiating crew about whether or not to throw the flag.
“It was a clear case of a jersey grab that caused restriction,” Cheffers said.
Coach Nick Sirianni typically doesn’t shy away from arguing with the officials on the sideline if the right situation presents itself. But after the Bradberry holding call, Sirianni kept mum as the Chiefs continued their drive.
Sirianni said that after the game that it’s not his job to make that call, explaining that he understands that the officials have to make decisions in a matter of seconds.
But he refused to pin the blame of the loss solely on Bradberry.
“I know it always appears to be that it’s one call that makes (the game),” Sirianni said. “That’s not what it is, right? It’s not what it is. There’s so many plays that contribute to the end result of the game, and today, they were better than we were.”