Chiefs WR JuJu Smith-Schuster mercilessly trolls James Bradberry for Super Bowl holding penalty
Philadelphia Eagles cornerback James Bradberry responded to his pivotal Super Bowl LVII holding penalty with class and accountability. That didn't stop the player he was flagged for holding from going for the jugular two days later.
Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster, a newly minted Super Bowl champion, celebrated Valentine's Day on Tuesday by posting a card featuring Bradberry and a brutal message: "I'll hold you when it matters most."
Happy Valentine’s Day, everybody ❤️ pic.twitter.com/skXuZVgrYR
— JuJu Smith-Schuster (@TeamJuJu) February 14, 2023
Reactions to the tweet were a bit mixed. Former Chiefs wide receiver Tyreek Hill enjoyed it, while Bradberry's teammate A.J. Brown was less of a fan, to put it lightly.
😂😂 yoooo @bigplay24slay @jamesbradberry https://t.co/lbi02UVFuZ
— Ty Hill (@cheetah) February 14, 2023
Come on naw bra… doin to much!! https://t.co/OMpcwiMtgp
— Darius Slay (@bigplay24slay) February 14, 2023
First off congratulations. Y’all deserve it .This is lame. You was on the way out the league before mahomes resurrected your career on your 1 year deal Tik-Tok boy . He admitted that he grabbed you but don’t act like your like that or ever was. But congratulations again! 🎊👏🏾🍻 https://t.co/Z3SpMXnP4K
— AJ Brown (@1kalwaysopen_) February 14, 2023
Brown's response was strong enough that it drew a response from Smith-Schuster, who basically tried to shrug it off.
Glad you were finally able to get all that off your chest after all these years. Good game bro 👍🏾💍 https://t.co/2JNdB6uYqU
— JuJu Smith-Schuster (@TeamJuJu) February 14, 2023
If, for some reason, you're not familiar with the ending of Super Bowl LVII, the context here is that Bradberry indeed held Smith-Schuster when it mattered most.
With 1:54 remaining in the game and the scored tied 35-35, the Chiefs found themselves in a situation where a first down would almost certainly give them a win. The Eagles only had one timeout left and the Chiefs had a 3rd-and-8 at the Eagles' 15-yard line. One more first down would allow Kansas City to almost entirely run out the clock and kick a chip-shot field goal.
The Eagles seemingly got a reprieve when Patrick Mahomes' pass to Smith-Schuster fell incomplete on the ensuing play, but then the officials called Bradberry for holding Smith-Schuster, a penalty that gave the Chiefs an automatic first down. Replay showed said holding to be ... a bit light.
Penalty or no?
pic.twitter.com/NfVQehibE0— John Clark (@JClarkNBCS) February 13, 2023
To say the penalty was controversial is a massive understatement. Social media immediately melted down over what it saw as an iffy penalty ending a great game. The usual talking heads immediately pounced on the moment for endless commentary fodder. Philadelphians either started sharpening knives or retreated into darkness.
Funnily enough, the most measured reaction came from Bradberry, who obviously wasn't happy about his new place in history, but still copped to the penalty after the game
James Bradberry owns up to the holding penalty.
He stood at his locker for a long while and answered every question about it. pic.twitter.com/qZbbLMtOpA— Tim McManus (@Tim_McManus) February 13, 2023
“I was hoping [the referee] would let it go, but of course, he’s a ref [and] it is a big game — and it was a hold,” Bradberry said. “So they called it.”
Bradberry posted a cryptic tweet soon after Smith-Schuster's post on Tuesday as well.
ALL-PRO #APJB
— James Bradberry IV (@Brad_B21) February 14, 2023
The Eagles as a whole had a measured response to what will likely be the most painful loss of their lives, but Smith-Schuster's post just confirms that basic fact of life that it's much better to be the victor than the loser.