It took exactly one kickoff for the Eagles and Jaguars to turn their London matchup into complete chaos.
Philadelphia linebacker Jeremiah Trotter Jr. and Jacksonville defensive end Bryan Thomas Jr. were both ejected Sunday after getting into a fight during the opening kickoff at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. The two continued scuffling after the play ended and had to be separated before officials gathered and eventually tossed both players from the game.
And somehow, that was only part of what happened on the play.
Jaguars rookie Josh Cameron initially returned the opening kickoff 90 yards for a touchdown, only for the score to be wiped out. Philadelphia was penalized for an illegal formation and Jacksonville was flagged for holding by linebacker Branson Combs, resulting in offsetting penalties and a replay of the kickoff.
Meanwhile, Trotter and Thomas were going at it near midfield, away from the ball and largely outside the main television camera angle.
That made the whole sequence even stranger. The broadcast did not initially provide a clean replay showing exactly what started the fight, although later angles showed the two players tangled up and continuing the confrontation after the whistle. Some broadcast discussion suggested Trotter may have thrown Thomas to the ground before things escalated, but the exact trigger was not immediately clear.
What was clear was the result.
Both were gone before either defense had even played a normal snap.
That is about as fast as an ejection can happen in an NFL game.
For Philadelphia, losing Trotter immediately created another problem for a team already dealing with a thin lineup. The Eagles entered the London game without several important offensive players, including Saquon Barkley and DeVonta Smith, while also working through changes along the offensive line. Trotter’s ejection forced another unexpected adjustment, this time on defense.
Jacksonville lost Thomas just as quickly, removing a defensive contributor from the game before he had a chance to take a snap on that side of the ball.
The whole thing made for one of the wildest starts to an NFL game this season.
There was also an odd family connection for Trotter. His father, former Eagles linebacker Jeremiah Trotter Sr., famously was ejected before a 2005 game after getting into a pregame confrontation. So, apparently, getting tossed before the game really gets started runs in the family.
As of Sunday morning, there had been no announcement of additional league discipline beyond the ejections.
Not exactly the international showcase the NFL had in mind.