Thursday night’s Bears-Commanders game generated the most intriguing piece of video from FedEx Field since someone was stirring Gatorade with a sleeve of cups wrapped in plastic.
An unidentified person with a phone in a Commanders case was spotted behind Bears offensive coordinator Luke Getsy. The person appeared to be taking photos or videos of whatever Getsy was doing.
So we asked the league about it.
“It was one of the two uniform inspectors assigned to the game, Ravin Caldwell,” chief NFL spokesman Brian McCarthy told PFT by email on Saturday morning. Caldwell, per McCarthy, played for Washington from 1987 through 1992. “The other inspector at that game was Ricky Ervins, who played there 1991-94,” McCarthy added.
McCarthy said that the uniform inspectors take photos during the game and then upload them to the NFL’s system.
The appearance of shenanigans was enhanced in this case because, as McCarthy pointed out, Getsy “was well beyond the bench area around the 20 when the broadcast zoomed in on that shot.” (McCarthy included photos that clearly confirm this fact.)
McCarthy explained that the league has two uniform inspectors at each game, with one on each sideline. They are generally former players who played for the home team or live in the area.
For example, if Thursday night’s game had been at Soldier Field, Jim Thornton would have been on one sideline, and Corey Mays would have been on the other.
That said, it probably makes sense for the uniform inspectors to be asked to use phone cases that don’t suggest partiality to and/or connection with one team, while on the sideline being used by its opponent. It also makes sense for the officials to be reminded to keep coaches within the bench area, so that curious images like the one from Thursday night aren’t generated and widely distributed.
