Another contentious roughing the passer call took hold of the football world on Sunday night. This one had some of the sport’s biggest luminaries shaking their heads in shame.
The Lions secured a dramatic 20-17 win over the Packers at the death, triumphing courtesy of a last-second Jake Bates chip shot. The divisional matchup teemed with controversy — Detroit took advantage of a series of roughing the passer calls to move down the field.
One of those calls proved especially contentious, drawing condemnation from a host of notable sources, including Micah Parsons and Tom Brady. Here’s what you need to know about the “foul” that took social media by storm.
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Micah Parsons, Tom Brady rip refs for roughing the passer call
Brenton Cox Jr. was the latest defender to run afoul of the NFL’s edict to protect the quarterback at all costs, getting flagged for roughing the passer after colliding with Jared Goff in Sunday’s game.
Goff sold the call, as great showmen can do, rolling onto his backside after Cox brushed him with his hands. The Detroit signal-caller’s chicanery was enough to bring out the flag.
Brenton Cox Jr. Gets Called For Roughing The Passer. This Might Be The Most Ridiculous One I’ve Ever Seen, And That’s After Last Week’s Multiple Roughing The Passer Calls That Were Definitely Questionable. This One Is The Worst Of Them All. I Never Want To Call Something Rigged, But This Just Looks Really Suspicious. Something’s Weird Here. 🤨
— SM Highlights (@SMHighlights1) October 25, 2026
In Goff’s defense, Cox arrived on the scene well after Goff threw his pass. If ever there was a time to take advantage of the league’s polarizing policy on contact with the quarterback, it was when Cox barreled towards him hopelessly.
Nevertheless, the court of public opinion appeared to be firmly on the side of the defender. Views on Cox’s penalty — and Goff’s role in its assessment — ranged from bemusement to vulgarity. Brady and Parsons sat somewhere in between, with the former declaring affirmatively that the foul was harsh during Sunday’s broadcast.
Tom Brady has had enough with the officiating. “My goodness. What is that?” “There’s no way!” “It’s definitely not roughing the passer.” https://t.co/a0JlJUylJM
— Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) October 25, 2026
Parsons, meanwhile, took to X to express his outrage over his teammate’s sanction.
@NFL @NFLOfficiating let’s just go to flag football if everytime a qb gets touched it’s roughing the passer!
— Micah Parsons (@MicahhParsons11) October 25, 2026
Parsons has undoubtedly felt the effects of the league’s tightening grip on roughing the passer calls throughout his career. Hoping things will change is likely to prove folly; QBs are the most important person on the pitch, grasping the ball on every play. If their health is at all jeopardized, that’s a disastrous thing for the NFL’s image.
Nevertheless, expect Parsons and other defenders to continue to speak up about the collateral damage that emerges as a result of referees’ trigger-happy disposition when it comes to contact with the quarterback. He’s certainly not the only one feeling the scales have been tipped too far in the offense’s direction.
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