Rule 8, Section 7, Article 1 of the NFL Rule Book states that “A runner may throw a backward pass at any time. Players of either team may advance after catching a backward pass, or recovering a backward pass after it touches the ground.”
Apparently, referee Scott Novak’s crew didn’t get the memo in Sunday’s game between the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Green Bay Packers. With 3:34 left in the first half, Steelers quarterback Kenny Pickett pretty clearly threw a backward pass to running back Jaylen Warren. The play was ruled an incomplete forward pass, the Packers reviewed it.