Troy Aikman had seen enough. The Hall of Famer and longtime ESPN analyst called it like he saw it during Monday Night Football, and what he saw was a penalty parade.
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"I'm not gonna keep my mouth shut. That's a good call. Just not a necessary call."
"Nothing brings a broadcast to a screeching halt more than these yellow flags."
"The product's just not very good. I'm gonna be honest...I mean, this is ridiculous."
- Troy Aikman pic.twitter.com/8pErfB34T2
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) September 30, 2025
The Broncos cruised to a 28-3 win over a depleted Bengals team at Empower Field, but the game dragged thanks to a constant barrage of yellow flags. Cincinnati opened with a field goal, only to watch Denver roll to a 21-3 halftime lead. By the third quarter, the only thing keeping fans glued to their screens was curiosity about which infraction would come next.
Midway through the quarter, Broncos lineman Alex Palczewski was hit with an illegal blindside block — the 22nd penalty of the night. ESPN rules analyst Russell Yurk said it was the correct call. Aikman didn't care.
"I'm not going to keep my mouth shut," Aikman told Joe Buck sarcastically. "That's a good call. Just not a necessary call ... Nothing brings a broadcast to a screeching halt more than these yellow flags."
Buck played along, joking that maybe the moon cycle was to blame. But before they could catch their breath, another flag came flying. This time, Denver center Luke Wattenberg was called for being an ineligible man downfield.
That was Aikman's breaking point.
"The product's just not very good. I'm gonna be honest ... I mean, this is ridiculous," he said.
It was a rare on-air vent from a broadcaster who's spent decades around the NFL. And on a night when the score wasn't close, the sheer volume of penalties became the main story, for the viewers and the booth.
