A controversial moment during Sunday’s NFL game between the Los Angeles Chargers and the New Orleans Saints has left fans fuming and calling for some sort of disciplinary action. The game, held at SoFi Stadium, saw 31-year-old Saints defensive tackle Nathan Shepherd engage in what many have termed a dirty and dangerous play against Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert.
During the second quarter, Shepherd grabbed Herbert’s right ankle after the quarterback had already released the ball to running back J.K. Dobbins. Videos circulating online show Shepherd clinging to Herbert’s leg, twisting his knee, and dragging him to the ground. The action persisted even after Herbert was down, with Shepherd rolling over and continuing to twist the quarterback’s knee.
Chargers center Bradley Bozeman, witnessing the incident, immediately intervened to protect his quarterback. Bozeman pushed Shepherd off Herbert and continued to shove him into the ground until Herbert and an official separated them. See video below:
The confrontation resulted in offsetting penalties, with both Nathan Shepherd and Bradley Bozeman receiving flags for unnecessary roughness.
Bozeman, speaking after the game, described the incident as “probably one of the dirtier plays I’ve ever seen, especially with my own eyes.” He added, “The ball was gone two or three seconds and he’s still gator rolling, he’s on the ground, still gator rolling. Protect your quarterback no matter what.”
Chargers coach Jim Harbaugh acknowledged the situation, stating, “Everybody knows Justin’s got a bad ankle. I don’t blame [Bozeman]. I don’t encourage it at all, but I don’t blame him.”
Herbert himself expressed gratitude for Bozeman’s actions, saying, “That’s the type of center you want on your team. He’ll give everything for this team, and I appreciated what he did.”
The NFL now faces pressure to respond to the incident. Many are calling for Nathan Shepherd to be suspended, arguing that such behavior has no place in the game and poses a serious risk to player safety. As NBC Sports’ Mike Florio put it, “If the NFL is truly serious about protecting players from attempts to injure them, Shepherd must be suspended.”
