Cole Kmet saw the flag Sunday, and thought the Bears were going to set up for first-and-goal. The penalty, he assumed, was against the Saints.
The rookie tight end, then, was stunned when he was penalized for unsportsmanlike conduct. Rather than having third-and-5 at the Saints’ 8 in the second quarter, the Bears faced third-and-20 at the 23. They eventually kicked a field goal.
The incident started after safety Malcolm Jenkins tackled the Notre Dame alum following a catch. Kmet said the two were “kinda laughing about the play” when he tossed the ball to the official.