One of the biggest talking points of the Philadelphia Eagles' loss to the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl 57 is James Bradberry's holding penalty late in the game. The call allowed the Chiefs to run the clock down before eventually converting the game-winning field goal for the 38-35 victory.
Fans and experts alike questioned the holding call, noting that it was a bad decision that dictated the outcome of the game. Even Los Angele Lakers star LeBron James, who went to Arizona to watch the contest live, thought it was the wrong call since Bradberry did not affect the route of JuJu Smith-Schuster.
“His hand on his back had no effect on his route! This game was too damn good for that call to dictate the outcome at the end. Damn! By the way I have no horse in the race. Just my professional opinion,” James said on Twitter.
Interestingly, however, Bradberry has no qualms about the penalty. Speaking to reporters postgame, he admitted that the defensive holding penalty was the right call though he had hoped the referees would let the play continue.
“It was a holding. I tugged his jersey. I was hoping they would let it slide,” Bradberry shared, per Ari Meirov of The 33rd Team.
In the video replays of the call, James Bradberry appeared to just touch JuJu Smith-Schuster slightly. It didn't look like the Chiefs wide receiver was affected by it, though, which sparked plenty of angry reactions from Eagles fans.
The call gave the Chiefs a new set of downs, denying the Eagles a chance to stage a comeback in the contest.
With Bradberry's confession, however, the controversy surrounding the penalty call should end as well. Besides, there is no denying the Chiefs deserved the win as well considering how hard they fought. It wouldn't really be an issue whichever team came out on top considering the brilliant football that they both showed.
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