In the third quarter of the Denver Broncos' 24-14 loss to the San Francisco 49ers, things were close midway through the frame, and the score was tied 3-3. The 49ers were punting, and wide receiver Marvin Mims was back for the return.
Mims caught the punt at first, and as he tried to dive for more yards, his wrist touched the ground, causing the ball to jar loose, and the 49ers recovered. On the TV broadcast, it looked like Mims' forearm was on the ground, which would have made him down by contact.
The play was reviewed, but ultimately, upheld. The play proved to be pivotal, as San Francisco scored a touchdown, taking the lead and never relinquishing it.
Broncos Twitter reacted to the play, and it's safe to say, none were too happy about it.
So,
Marvin Mims Jr. is adjudged to have fumbled the ball. His elbow hits the ground. Gene Steratore says he "feels like he's down by contact," but the wrist hitting the ground is part of the hand, as Steratore explains on the CBS broadcast. SF keeps the ball. Controversial call.
— Andrew Mason (@MaseDenver) October 4, 2026
This Was Ruled A Fumble After Marvin Mims’ Forearm Clearly Hit The Ground 👀
— SM Highlights (@SMHighlights1) October 4, 2026
They Said The Ball Is Part Of His Hand, But I Don’t Know… I Think He’s Down. This Is Weird. pic.twitter.com/gy9E30SHrm
Call confirmed. It's a fumble for Marvin Mims. Brutal after such a good defensive stand.
— Nick Kosmider (@NickKosmider) October 4, 2026
Marvin Mims's ENTIRE forearm is down and the ball is still in his possession. pic.twitter.com/989BYpHEiI
— Swipa (@SwipaCam) October 4, 2026
Questionable Marvin Mims fumble leads to a SF touchdown
— Predominantly Orange (@PredomOrange) October 4, 2026
1) Marvin Mims is pathetic as hell for not shaking the initial tackler
— Ty 🪬 (@brandnewTy) October 4, 2026
2) you couldn’t draw up a more down by contact call if you tried
3) this is the second time that the Broncos have gotten killed on a bad special teams call https://t.co/gJ116j6twb
Marvin Mims was DOWN.
— Zac Stevens (@ZacStevens) October 4, 2026
But they are calling it San Francisco ball.
I still don’t understand how Marvin Mims fumbled.
— Taylor Vanderbilt (@TheTeamVandy) October 4, 2026
I don’t know the rules in the NFL anymore. Feels like every week something is called differently.
— PeteNova (@SuperrNova38) October 4, 2026
Marvin Mimms fumble makes no sense to me.
What??? Marvin Mims clearly had a forearm down and they’re giving the football to the 49ers? That’s awful.
— Will Petersen (@PetersenWill) October 4, 2026
Coach Sean Payton never received a full explanation on the play:
#Broncos coach Sean Payton on Marvin Mims fumble: "They just said the review said it was a fumble." He said he didn't get a full explanation.
— Chris Tomasson (@christomasson) October 4, 2026
Hopefully the Broncos can recover from this loss and rebound in a very big way with the Los Angeles Chargers up next on the schedule.
Social: Follow Broncos Wire on Facebook and Twitter/X!
This article originally appeared on Broncos Wire: Did Marvin Mims fumble vs. 49ers? Twitter reacts to controversial play
