TD Scrubbed After Cardinals RB Drops Football, Inches Away From Scoring
NFL players paid to score TDs are dropping the ball.
It’s another jaw-dropping drop.
Arizona Cardinals running back Emari Demercado just joined the Hall of Lame — the club reserved for players who somehow drop the football before crossing the goal line — after his unforgettable "lowlight" on Sunday.
In a banged-up backfield, Demercado was already fighting for carries behind Michael Carter and "Bam" Knight.
In the fourth quarter, with a chance to seal the win against the Titans, he broke free for a 72-yard sprint… only to drop the ball before crossing the plane.
That wasn’t the end of the chaos at State Farm Stadium.
Marvin Harrison Jr. #18 of the Arizona Cardinals celebrates with Emari Demercado. (Photo by Brooke Sutton/Getty Images)
Tennessee recovered and quickly turned the mistake into a Tony Pollard touchdown, cutting Arizona’s lead to 21–12. On the sidelines, cameras caught head coach Jonathan Gannon chewing out Demercado — so animated that lineman Paris Johnson Jr. had to step in and hold him back.
One fan summed it up perfectly: "How in 2025 are we still dropping the ball at the one-yard line? Emari Demercado just stole a touchdown from himself."
Arizona’s afternoon got messier.
Trying to close out the game, the Cardinals intercepted a Cam Ward pass in the red zone — only for their own safety, Dadrion Taylor-Demerson, to fumble it back.
The ball pinballed toward the end zone before Tennessee finally recovered, cutting the score to 21–19.
Tennessee rallied back to win, 22-21 … thanks to Demarcado's mistake. The win marked rookie QB Cam Ward's first NFL W.
For all the talent and training in the world, it always comes down to one thing — don’t drop the ball before you score.
Yet somehow, NFL players keep doing it.
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