All-22 Film Shows Just How Close Eagles Defender Was to Accidentally Punching Ref During Super Bowl

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The Philadelphia Eagles had plenty to celebrate during their 40-22 win over the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl LIX, but one defender almost took it too far.
Following a sack of quarterback Patrick Mahomes alongside teammate Josh Sweat, rookie linebacker Jalyx Hunt stepped away for a celebratory air punch. In the process, he almost accidentally punched a referee right in the face.
Here's a look at the near-knockout from the All-22 angle, courtesy of Ross Tucker on X (formerly Twitter):
Jalyx Hunt was 6 inches away from being suspended forever for killing a ref. 😳pic.twitter.com/f63Un6c68k
— Ross Tucker (@RossTuckerNFL) February 10, 2025
That was close.
Lucky for him, he avoided the near disaster and was able to celebrate the victory with his teammates:

After an up-and-down rookie year where he notched 21 tackles and 1.5 sacks over 17 games, Hunt turned it on in the playoffs. He logged 10 total tackles over Philly's postseason run—and also matched his regular-season sack total in just four contests.
His Eagles are also already favored to repeat as Super Bowl champions in 2026.
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Mike Kadlick is a senior NFL news writer for Sports Illustrated. He’s also a New England Patriots reporter for CLNS Media, where he hosts the Patriots Daily podcast and covers the beat from Gillette Stadium. Before joining SI, Kadlick worked at WEEI sports radio in Boston. He holds a master’s degree in public relations from Boston University. When Kadlick’s not covering football, he can be found running, spending time with his wife and dog, and enjoying all things pizza.