NFL Suspends Referee Ron Torbert After Missed Illegal Formation Calls in Cowboys-Packers Tie
The NFL has suspended veteran referee Ron Torbert and his crew for one week after failing to penalize repeated illegal formations by the Green Bay Packers during Sunday night’s 40-40 tie with the Dallas Cowboys.
Dallas and Green Bay battled through four quarters and overtime in what became the second-highest scoring tie in NFL history. Dak Prescott led a field goal drive in OT, only for Jordan Love to answer late.
With the Packers facing 3rd-and-14 at the Dallas 16-yard line, confusion reigned. Green Bay appeared to line up illegally, yet no flags were thrown. The snap set up a 48-yard, game-tying field goal with one second left.
Jordan Love chucks the ball in the endzone and the Packers and Cowboys tied 🔥
One of the best games I think I’ve ever watched, second highest tied scoring game of all time.pic.twitter.com/jhzvG7EQCM — SM Highlights (@SMHighlights1) September 29, 2025
Video reviews showed left tackle Rasheed Walker and left guard Elgton Jenkins off the line of scrimmage. Under NFL rules, such violations should have triggered a 10-second runoff, ending the game in Dallas’ favor.
Fans erupted online. One wrote: “Packers got away with an illegal formation which should’ve been a penalty requiring a runoff.” Another added: “I guess it’s never getting called in that situation, but sure looked illegal.”
Former coach Rex Ryan was blunt on ESPN’s Get Up: “They’re not even lined up right… the Packers never looked ready for the moment.” He said officials “let things slide” in the chaotic overtime sequence.
On Monday, the NFL confirmed Torbert’s suspension for an “internal officiating review.” The league also fined the Packers $50,000 for formation violations, underscoring its stance on consistency after weeks of mounting officiating controversies.
The tie leaves Green Bay 2-1-1 and Dallas 1-2-1. The Cowboys now shift focus to the Vikings in Week 4 under referee Carl Cheffers, hoping to avoid more officiating drama as playoff hopes remain fragile.
NFL Fines Eagles CB Cooper DeJean for Taunting — Slightly Less Than Jalen Carter’s Week 3 Penalty
The Philadelphia Eagles held off the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in a gritty 31-25 win, but one of their rising stars found himself at the center of another league discipline headline. The game’s most talked-about moment wasn’t a touchdown, but a celebration.
Cornerback Cooper DeJean drew a 15-yard taunting penalty in the second half after mimicking Allen Iverson’s iconic “stepover” by stepping across a fallen Buccaneers receiver. The gesture sparked boos in the stadium and a quick flag from officials.
Cooper DeJean did the Iverson Stepover and got flagged for taunting…
— Barstool Philly (@BarstoolPhilly) September 28, 2025
No. Fun. League.
pic.twitter.com/qktBWdxVbE
On Monday, the NFL announced DeJean has been fined
$10,000 for the act. The penalty comes as part of the league’s stricter crackdown on taunting in 2025, following a string of controversial incidents in the first three weeks.
The punishment is slightly less than the
$11,593 fine Jalen Carter received just a week earlier against the Rams, underscoring how league officials are aiming to set consistent standards for unsportsmanlike conduct.
Head coach Nick Sirianni downplayed the incident but emphasized accountability:
“We coach our guys to play with emotion, but we’ve got to be smart. We can’t let a moment like that hurt our team.”
DeJean, meanwhile, remains one of the Eagles’ most promising young defenders. His physical playstyle and swagger have already made him a fan favorite, but moments like this reveal the fine line between confidence and costly penalties.
For the Eagles, the flag didn’t change the outcome, but it did erase valuable field position in a tight contest. Analysts noted that penalties like this could swing bigger games down the line.
The league’s stance is clear: celebrations that cross into taunting will be punished financially. For DeJean, the $10,000 fine is a first-time reminder of the microscope every Eagles star is under in 2025.
