Tyreek Hill's latest backflip touchdown was negated because of penalty vs. Broncos

Billy Heyen

•
Tyreek Hill's latest backflip touchdown was negated because of penalty vs. Broncos image

Tyreek Hill's getting a lot of practice at his whole backflip routine. Apparently being so fast that no defenders are near him by the time he reaches the end zone has its benefits beyond just scoring touchdowns.

Hill's latest flipping foray through the air didn't count, though. A fourth-quarter pass from Patrick Mahomes to the Chiefs' speed demon receiver resulted in a 48-yard touchdown in which Hill waited at the goal line before doing his second backflip in as many weeks. But a holding penalty on Kansas City negated the score, and the Chiefs wound up punting two plays later. 

MORE: Chiefs don't challenge on Tyreek Hill's bobbling touchdown catch

In a weird moment that somehow seemed made for 2020, there were two penalty flags thrown on the play. Only the holding would stand, though, as the referee announced on national television, "There was no foul for the flip into the end zone."

This was far from the first time that Hill has found a fun way to enter the end zone. He did a backflip in Week 12 on his second touchdown of the first quarter against Tom Brady and the Buccaneers.

There've also been at least two other instances in Hill's career of doing flips on an NFL field, but both of those, from before 2020, appear to be Hill doing a flip to celebrate a touchdown, not score a touchdown.

It was a tough Sunday night for anyone counting on Hill in fantasy football and for Hill himself, as he entered Week 13 as the NFL's leader in receiving touchdowns. He finished the Chiefs' 22-16 win over the Broncos with six catches for 58 yards. But his backflip touchdown was the second such score that Hill appeared to have only for it not to count.

Earlier in the game, Hill bobbled a ball in the end zone that was ruled incomplete. Hill didn't even realize he caught it, and the Chiefs didn't challenge it. Replays showed it would've been a clear TD if Andy Reid had thrown the red challenge flag. 

If Hill had been credited with both those touchdowns instead of neither, his final line would've been eight catches for 146 yards and two scores, a worthy encore to his 269 yards in Week 12. Instead, he went to sleep Sunday night with two very close calls and some very cool still photos of him appearing to float upside down above the Arrowhead Stadium grass.

Billy Heyen