Dec 8, 2024; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Eagles cornerback Darius Slay Jr. (2) celebrates fourth down stop against the Carolina Panthers with safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson (8) late in the fourth quarter at Lincoln Financial Field. Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-Imagn Images Eric Hartline-Imagn Images

Watch: Eagles CB Punches Steelers TE Darnell Washington

Originally posted on Pittsburgh Steelers on SI
By Noah Strackbein | Last updated Dec 16, 2024 7:00 AM ET

The Pittsburgh Steelers and Philadelphia Eagles matchup was physical from start to finish, bringing Pennsylvani state rivalry to the gridiron the moment the ball was kicked. But at one point, midway through the first quarter, the hostility hit a new level between the two teams.

With just under five minutes left in the opening quarter, Eagles cornerback Darius Slay and Steelers tight end Darnell Washington got into a scuffle after the play. Washington was seen blocking Slay into the stands after the whistle was blown, which the cornerback did not respond well to.

Immediately, Slay started throwing punches, which were caught on camera by a fan near the interaction.

Clear video of Darius Slay punching Darnell Washington. Steelers got penalized 15 yards. Nothing on Eagles. Steelers will pass this along to the NFL. Horrible job by officials. pic.twitter.com/KPkKlHpZ6G
— Andrew Fillipponi (@ThePoniExpress) December 16, 2024

Despite the referee being right in front of the two players watching, Slay was not called for a penalty on the play. Instead, Steelers wide receiver Calvin Austin was called for unnecassary roughness after he involved himself once things escalated.

After the game, Austin joked that he was, of course, going to defend his teammate. And, obviously, he was the one flagged because of how "big" he is.

"If I see plenty of Eagles come up and surround [Darnell], like, yeah, I'm going to come in and help my dog, but I guess being the biggest guy out there, I'm going to get flagged," Austin said.

The Steelers will move on from the loss to the Eagles and turn focus to the Baltimore Ravens. However, this isn't the first time this season they felt they were shorted by the refs, with safety DeShon Elliott calling out the officiating last week after the win to the Browns.

Pittsburgh will look to adjust and adapt to referees making questionable calls toward. And with three more games ahead and the AFC North title on the line, they won't be focused on a fight against the Eagles any longer than they need to be.

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