Carolina Panthers punter Johnny Hekker bizarrely decided to headbutt Miami Dolphins defensive lineman Cameron Goode where he was penalised for the play, but has denied the severity of the incident
The last positional player you would think of when hearing of a player floor an opponent in an NFL game is a punter, but that’s exactly what happened on Sunday.
Veteran quarterback Johnny Hekker of the Carolina Panthers appeared to lose all composure as his team fell to the Miami Dolphins. He appeared to get into a fight with Cameron Goode, a Dolphins pass rusher.
After a punt, Hekker approached the Dolphins player and shoved his head in Goode’s direction, causing the latter to fall to the ground. Hekker had just finished speaking to Goode. Given that Hekker’s penalty gave the Dolphins an extra 15 yards for their drive, Goode, who was seen grinning on the ground following the play and was undoubtedly unharmed, played as expected.
But the Dolphins quickly recovered, took the lead at halftime, and went on to win the game 42-21. The league-leading offense, led by Tua Tagovailoa, put on another strong performance with three touchdown passes and 262 passing yards.
The Panthers are currently the only team without a victory and have the worst record in the league.