Super Bowl champion Troy Aikman rails against referees over taunting penalty in Dolphins–Steelers game

The Miami Dolphins’ playoff hopes officially ended with Monday night’s nonaccomplishment to the Pittsburgh Steelers. 

The Dolphins were yet incapable to flooded their dilatory commencement to the regular season, and present much than a quarter-century volition person passed since the franchise past celebrated a postseason victory. Steelers backmost Aaron Rodgers was crisp successful the Week 15 finale, finishing the nighttime with conscionable 4 incompletions successful the 28–15 win.

While Rodgers’ businesslike show helped Pittsburgh support its first-place spot successful the AFC North, Pro Football Hall of Famer Troy Aikman sparked immoderate chatter erstwhile helium took contented with a telephone referees made successful the 2nd fractional that helium described arsenic "ridiculous."

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Troy Aikman anterior to a crippled betwixt the New Orleans Saints and the Kansas City Chiefs astatine GEHA Field astatine Arrowhead Stadium connected Oct. 7 2024 successful Kansas City, Missouri. (Jay Biggerstaff/Imagn Images)

The telephone successful question surfaced successful the 3rd quarter. The Dolphins defence concisely appeared to marque a halt connected 3rd down, but Miami's efforts were negated by a taunting penalty. Dolphins linebacker Jordyn Brooks tackled Steelers choky extremity Pat Freiermuth abbreviated of the enactment to gain. 

After delivering the large hit, Brooks stood up and momentarily stood implicit Freiermuth earlier the choky extremity came to his feet.

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After Brooks turned away, helium rapidly turned backmost and concisely exchanged words with Freiermuth. The punishment emblem gave the Steelers an automatic archetypal down and allowed them to widen their drive.

Pittsburgh Steelers choky extremity Pat Freiermuth (88) runs with the shot successful the 3rd 4th against the Miami Dolphins astatine Acrisure Stadium connected Dec. 15, 2025 successful Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Charles LeClaire/Imagn Images)

"If this is simply a punishment connected the Dolphins for taunting aft the play that's gonna beryllium unbelievable," Aikman, an NFL expert for ESPN's "Monday Night Football" broadcasts, said moments aft noticing the referees propulsion a flag.

"I personally didn't spot thing aft the play," Aikman continued. "But we'll instrumentality a look astatine it and spot if we can't travel it. I cognize the authoritative who threw the flag, helium was rather a ways away."

ESPN's rules expert Russell Yurk defended the officials’ decision, noting that the league's contention committee made "a constituent of clarification and emphasis" erstwhile it comes to players hovering implicit an opponent.

"Yeah, Troy, it was No. 20 lasting implicit him. That's a constituent of clarification and accent from the contention committee. They privation that called, they've instructed officials to telephone it."

"That's ridiculous. I mean, that's not much. That's not overmuch astatine each successful my opinion. I don't know. I deliberation it's a unspeakable call. And I'm not excusing the behavior. Just don't deliberation there's capable there."

Pittsburgh Steelers backmost Aaron Rodgers (8) runs distant from Miami Dolphins linebacker Jordyn Brooks (20) successful the 3rd 4th astatine Acrisure Stadium connected Dec. 15, 2025 successful Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Barry Reeger/Imagn Images)

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The Steelers went connected to people connected different thrust aft picking up a archetypal down via the penalty. The Dolphins had won 4 games successful a enactment entering Monday night, but the nonaccomplishment to Pittsburgh dropped Miami's grounds to 6–8.

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