Steelers player slammed for mock CPR during game just one week after Damar Hamlin's cardiac arrest
People thought the moment was poorly timed and very insensitive.
The Pittsburgh Steelers have been slammed during their win against the Cleveland Browns at Acrisure Stadium.
Alex Highsmith sacked Deshaun Watson in the game’s fourth quarter and another Pittsburgh player came up to Highsmith and performed a celebration.
While that wouldn't normally raise eyebrows or attract headlines, the celebration in question quickly attracted criticism.
The player did a mock CPR on Highsmith, which The Daily Mail says has been seen before in previous NFL games.
Advert
However, this moment happened just one week after Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin suffered a cardiac arrest in the middle of the game with the Cincinnati Bengals.
The safety player collapsed to the ground and required urgent CPR in front of horrified onlookers.
He was eventually taken to hospital in a critical condition.
The NFL has rallied around the player in the days since and he's been on everyone's minds and prayers.
The Steelers even helped deliver toys, books, and supplies to Hamlin's mother's daycare center.
People said the mock CPR celebration on Alex Highsmith at Sunday's (January 8) game was insensitive.
One person wrote: "Shoutout to the Steelers for choosing literally the WORST possible sack celebration this week."
Another added: "Classless Steelers with the CPR celebration."
A third said: "Steelers defense celebrated a sack by performing CPR. Of all weeks… not a great look. Yikes."
When addressing the media following the match, Steelers coach Mike Tomlin wasn't asked about the controversial moment.
Instead, he said he was proud of the efforts from the men on the field.
"I'm appreciative of the efforts all year. We're an evolving group, and that evolution continued even into today," he said.
"I'm just appreciative of the collective. I'm appreciative of the men, not what they're capable of, but what they're willing to do. In the face of adversity that football presents, in the face of adversity that life presents, we have an opportunity to kind of display some things in all of that.
"Hopefully we learn something. Hopefully we taught others something in the midst of our journey.
"So, I'm just thankful for that group, appreciative of the efforts today in terms of getting the job done, divisional game."
Despite winning their game against the Cleveland Browns, they weren't able to make it to the playoffs 'after a run in the latter half of the year', according to Fox News.
Stewart Perrie