Celebrate good times. Just don't celebrate by hugging the goalpost.
At least that's what Stefon Diggs learned on Sunday in Week 1 after scoring a touchdown. The Maryland native is back home this season, playing for the Washington Commanders after inking a one-year deal with them this offseason.
So it was only natural for Diggs to have a little extra excitement after scoring his first touchdown for the team.
Trailing 17-9 in the fourth quarter, Diggs beat Cooper DeJean for the touchdown, which could've been the game-tying score.
first as a Commander 🤩
— Washington Commanders (@Commanders) September 13, 2026
📺 #WASvsPHI FOX pic.twitter.com/BFX7I2XBpb
However, then Diggs' hug drew a 15-yard unsportsmanlike conduct penalty. Since the Eagles chose to enforce the penalty on the point after, Washington had
to settle for an extra point instead of attempting to tie the game with a two-point conversion.
The Washington defense surrendered a touchdown on the following Philadelphia drive, pushing the deficit back to eight for the visitors.
This wasn't Diggs' first time getting a penalty for hugging either.
He hugged the goal post after a touchdown in 2017, picking up a 15-yard penalty for the gesture and a $12,154 fine after the game.
While seemingly harmless in nature, the league has enforced penalties for contacting the goal post in any way because it can knock it out of place. That would cause a potentially long delay to fix the issue. The fines and penalties have been enough to discourage players from those types of celebrations.
Diggs isn't one of them though.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Stefon Diggs' TD celebration hugging the goalpost, draws penalty in Week 1
