Evan McPherson was living his best life at this year’s Super Bowl halftime show, but it turns out that he may have ticked off his team in the process.
Cincinnati Bengals special teams coordinator Darrin Simmons spoke this week with The Athletic’s Jay Morrison. When asked about the team’s kicker McPherson staying on the field for the entire halftime show instead of going to the locker room, Simmons did little to hide his displeasure.
“That’s a sore subject,” Simmons replied. “That’s a real sore subject.”
Despite the Bengals trailing 13-10 at halftime, the rookie McPherson stayed out to watch the halftime special featuring a star-studded cast of performers, including Snoop Dogg, Dr. Dre, 50 Cent, Mary J. Blige, Kendrick Lamar and Eminem. McPherson also had some funny moments in front of the television cameras while watching the show.
Morrison adds that Bengals long snapper Clark Harris also stayed out to watch the halftime show but was smart enough to avoid the cameras.
McPherson’s antics did not interfere with his play in the second half, as he hit both of his kicks (an extra point and a 38-yard field goal). But since the Bengals ended up losing 23-20, the optics weren’t the best for McPherson.
That said, the 22-year-old kicker was the truth for Cincinnati all season. If McPherson can continue his strong play as a sophomore next year, the frustration over his halftime stunt should blow over in no time at all.
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