NFL officials have had their issues this season, and they just penalized a guy who appears to have suffered a major injury.
Falcons safety Keanu Neal was just carted off, in obvious distress after he went down without contact.
Neal, who suffered a torn ACL in last year’s opener, was emotional as soon as he hit the ground, and in his frustration he threw his helmet.
Officials promptly flagged him for unsportsmanlike conduct, since removing your helmet while on the field of play is a penalty.
That might be correct according to the letter of the law, but it doesn’t leave much room for grace, as Neal looks like a guy who knows he’s in for another long rehab.
UPDATE 2:46 p.m. ET: The Falcons announced Neal was out with an Achilles injury.
