NFL fans furious after ref holds Packers' player's hand after slapping opponent
NFL fans furious after ref holds Packers' player's hand after slapping opponent
Tom MalleyFri, October 30, 2026 at 4:21 PM UTC
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Packers wide receiver Matthew Golden was spotted holding the line judge's hand during Thursday Night Football -Credit:NFL (NFL)
NFL fans were left absolutely perplexed watching the Packers vs. Panthers game on Thursday Night Football after noticing the field judge holding the hand of Green Bay star Matthew Golden during the second quarter.
The Packers returned to winning ways with a 27-19 victory over their opponents at Lambeau Field on Thursday to move to 5-3 for the season, with wide receiver Christian Watson the star of the show as he returned from a mid-game ambulance trip to the hospital to finish as the game's top receiver.
Golden also put in an impressive performance as he finished with 7 receptions on a game-high 13 targets for 79 yards and 1 touchdown, though he had several notable moments off the ball that also caught the eye.
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The first of those involved a first-half bust-up with Panthers defensive back Marco Wilson, with the duo getting into a heated shoving match near the end zone during the second quarter of the game.
After Wilson repeatedly shoved him, Golden retaliated by slapping his opponent's helmet. While Wilson was flagged 15 yards for unnecessary roughness, Golden avoided an ejection or a matching penalty.
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However, what happened next was completely unexpected: field judge John Jenkins physically grabbed and held Golden's hand to help de-escalate the situation, hoping that doing so would get the Green Bay star's full attention.
While he delivered a stern warning to control his emotions as the pair ran in tandem, the bizarrely intimate gesture quickly went viral on social media, with NFL fans losing their minds over what they had just seen.
"What the actual f--- is this? Never seen it in my 40 years of fandom," one person wrote on X. "If that's not rigging, I don’t know what is," said another.
"Refs really give the Packers special treatment. It's insane," mused a third person, while a fourth user commented, "Was the ref about to throw a flag or offer Matthew Golden a therapy session?"
Golden finished with 7 receptions on a game-high 13 targets for 79 yards and 1 touchdown to help the Packers to victory
A sixth person even likened the lie judge's actions to those of a "bouncer at closing time", while a seventh claimed that the NFL is the "only league where a punch gets you a hug and a celebration gets you 15 yards."
It wasn't just those watching from home who were left bemused at what they had just seen, as play-by-play announcer Al Michaels reacted to the moment by breaking into a brief rendition of The Beatles' "I Want to Hold Your Hand" on the live broadcast.
Elsewhere in the game, a drone in the area halted play after being spotted flying above the stadium, leaving both teams confused about what was going on when they were told to leave the field.
After about five minutes, both the Packers and Panthers had to remain on their sidelines while the situation was resolved, before the drone was eventually taken down and play resumed.
Source: “AOL Sports”
