Lions Decline a Penalty in Gesture to Late Player

The Denver Broncos deliberately took a penalty on the first play of their game Sunday—and the Detroit Lions opted not to take advantage. It was all in tribute to former Denver receiver Demaryius Thomas, who was found dead in his home at age 33 last week. The Broncos lined up with only 10 men in the huddle instead of the usual 11, leaving open the spot Thomas occupied for years as a Pro Bowl receiver. Instead of snapping the ball, the Broncos let the play clock expire as fans cheered and chanted "DT." The Lions then followed suit and declined the penalty. You can watch it here or via NFL.com.

The Denver Post reports that Broncos coach Vic Fangio called Lions coach Dan Campbell on Saturday to tell him about the tribute, and referee John Hussey also knew about it in advance. “We wanted to pay tribute to DT in any way we could,” Fangio said after the game. Campbell "agreed to not accept the penalty, which was a classy move on his part.” Asked about it, Campbell said: “That was for DT. That’s who I did that for.” Denver won the game, 38-10. Thomas' cause of death is still pending. (More Denver Broncos stories.)