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Veteran NFL Referee Carted Off Field After Scary Collision

Originally posted on The Spun | By Andrew Gould | Last updated Dec 1, 2024 7:28 PM ET

An NFL referee got carted off the field early in his Sunday assignment.

During the first quarter of a Week 13 contest between the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Carolina Panthers, Carl Paganelli went down after inadvertently bumping into a Buccaneers player. Paganelli was catching the ball from Carolina's sideline before a punt. Per WCNC's Nick Carboni, the 64-year-old official appeared to have injured his leg.

Paganelli sat upright on the cart as he got driven off the field at Bank of America Stadium. The crew worked short-handed with six officials instead of the normal seven.

FOX Sports said that Paganelli "appears to be doing fine" when posting a brief video of him getting carted off:

Official Carl Paganelli appears to be doing fine after being carted off the field pic.twitter.com/sKgWocJwud
— FOX Sports: NFL (@NFLonFOX) December 1, 2024

Paganelli has worked four Super Bowls since becoming an NFL referee in 1999. He most recently officiated Super Bowl XLVIII in 2014.

His father, Carl Paganelli Sr., was an officiating icon and Arena Football Hall of Famer. Paganelli's brothers, Dino Paganelli and Perry Paganelli, are also NFL back judges.

CHARLOTTE, NORTH CAROLINA - DECEMBER 01: Umpire Carl Paganelli #124 is taken off the field with an injury during the first quarter in the game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Bank of America Stadium on December 01, 2024 in Charlotte, North Carolina. (Photo by Grant Halverson/Getty Images)Grant Halverson/Getty Images

Although the Buccaneers entered Sunday's game 5-6, they have a chance to tie the Atlanta Falcons atop the NFC South with a win. They snapped a four-game losing streak by defeating the New York Giants last Sunday.

Baker Mayfield completed seven five passes in the opening half, but Mike Evans corraled one for an acrobatic one-handed touchdown catch.

On the other end, Bryce Young continues to progress since returning from a mid-season benching. Last year's No. 1 pick is 15-of-26 for 186 yards, including a highlight 38-yard completion to Tommy Tremble. Young also ran for a 10-yard touchdown.

It's unclear if Paganelli can return, but hopefully he's OK.

This article first appeared on The Spun and was syndicated with permission.

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