Stefon Diggs scored his first touchdown for the Washington Commanders on Sunday, but his celebration quickly turned into one of the biggest talking points from their narrow 24-22 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles.
With Washington trailing 17-9 late in the fourth quarter, Jayden Daniels found Diggs for a 10-yard touchdown with 9:59 remaining. Diggs ran toward the goalpost, jumped up and wrapped himself around it before falling onto the field.
The officials immediately flagged him for unsportsmanlike conduct, resulting in a 15-yard penalty. The call proved costly because Washington had planned to go for a two-point conversion after the touchdown. Instead, the penalty forced the Commanders to kick the extra point, cutting the deficit to 17-16.
Commanders score TD…
want to go for 2 to tie game…
but Stefon Diggs jumps on goal post, gets a 15-yard penalty and Washington has to kick XP
idiotic pic.twitter.com/4HytuNNUDW
— Warren Sharp (@SharpFootball) September 13, 2026
What Did Stefon Diggs Say About The Penalty?
Diggs did not dispute the decision after the game and accepted responsibility for the celebration.
“Finally, we hit one, and I get a little excited,” Diggs said of the touchdown as quoted by The Athletic.
“Of course, I take full accountability,” he added. “And I want to win bad, you know — every little rep, everything. So finally when we clicked after not clicking for a little while, it got to me a little.”
Diggs also acknowledged that he had forgotten the goalpost celebration was not allowed. The veteran receiver said he realised almost immediately that he had made a mistake and added that he needed to be better.
Why Was Diggs’ Goalpost Celebration A Penalty?
The NFL considers using the goalpost as part of a celebration an unsportsmanlike act. Diggs’ decision to jump onto and hug the post therefore resulted in the 15-yard penalty.
The timing made it particularly costly for Washington. Head coach Dan Quinn confirmed that the Commanders would have gone for two following the touchdown had Diggs not been penalised. Instead, the 15-yard setback changed the situation and Washington settled for the extra point.
The Commanders did eventually get another chance to tie the game. After rookie Antonio Williams caught a late touchdown to make it 24-22 with 1:01 remaining, Washington attempted a two-point conversion, but Philadelphia stopped the shovel pass to tight end John Bates. The Eagles then recovered the ensuing onside kick to seal the win.
Jayden Daniels Takes Responsibility After Diggs Penalty
Daniels defended Diggs while also acknowledging that Washington needed to handle the situation better.
“You just gotta be smarter,” Daniels said. “We gotta know situations, situational football. That’s on me for not reiterating that in the huddle.”
Quinn also backed his receiver while making clear that Diggs knew the celebration was against the rules.
“As the competitor he is, he knows better than that in that spot. He knew that,” Quinn said.
The incident has attracted even more attention because it was not the first time Diggs had been punished for a similar celebration. He was fined $12,154 in 2017 after a goalpost celebration while playing for the Minnesota Vikings. As of September 14, however, there was no confirmed new NFL fine for Sunday’s incident.
Diggs finished his Commanders debut with four catches for 55 yards and one touchdown, but Washington ultimately opened the season with a two-point defeat.
