Josh WeinfussOct 6, 2025, 06:34 PM ETCloseJosh Weinfuss is a staff writer who covers the Arizona Cardinals and the NFL at ESPN. Josh has covered the Cardinals since 2012, joining ESPN in 2013. He is a member of the Pro Football Writers of America and a graduate of Indiana University.Follow on X
Emari Demercado drops the ball and wipes away a 70-yard Cardinals TD (0:53)Emari Demercado drops the ball before crossing the goal line, wiping away what would have been a 70-yard touchdown. (0:53)
TEMPE, Ariz. — Cardinals coach Jonathan Gannon apologized to Emari Demercado during a team meeting Monday for his reaction after the running back let go of the football before crossing the goal line on what would’ve been a 72-yard touchdown in the fourth quarter of Sunday’s shocking 22-21 loss to the Tennessee Titans.
“I just told [the team], I kind of let the moment of what happened get the better of me there. Obviously, I try to be emotionally stable and calm because my job is to solve problems during a game and lead the charge on that. So, it’s not really who I am, who I want to be, and I told the guys that today.
“So, it’s a mistake by me, and it’s just like everybody in there, everybody made some type of mistake yesterday, which culminates to why we didn’t win the game, and we can’t let it happen moving forward.”
The Titans scored on the drive after Demercado’s blunder, kick-starting a comeback that gave them their first win of the season and the Cardinals one of their worst losses in franchise history.
Gannon didn’t bench Demercado after the play and said Monday that there wouldn’t be a repercussion for the blunder.
Gannon said his reaction was a result of the pent-up frustration in a game full of gaffes, mistakes and ill-timed penalties.
Gannon also announced that second-year tight end Tip Reiman will go on injured reserve and miss the rest of the season because of an ankle injury.
Emari Demercado drops the ball and wipes away a 70-yard Cardinals TD (0:53)Emari Demercado drops the ball before crossing the goal line, wiping away what would have been a 70-yard touchdown. (0:53)
Emari Demercado drops the ball before crossing the goal line, wiping away what would have been a 70-yard touchdown. (0:53)
CloseJosh Weinfuss is a staff writer who covers the Arizona Cardinals and the NFL at ESPN. Josh has covered the Cardinals since 2012, joining ESPN in 2013. He is a member of the Pro Football Writers of America and a graduate of Indiana University.Follow on X