Pat Surtain II Shares Witty Take on Riley Moss' Penalty Epidemic
Denver Broncos' starting cornerback Riley Moss has faced a fair amount of scrutiny for drawing numerous penalties this season. However, teammate Patrick Surtain II publicly backed him, offering a humorous defense of his fellow defensive back.
Surtain and Moss, both dedicated students of the game, regularly analyze opposing offenses together. Despite often being targeted by quarterbacks—an expected outcome for a cornerback playing opposite Surtain—Moss successfully breaks up more than half the passes thrown his way.
“I think they’re racial profiling my dog, though, man,” Surtain joked during his Closed On Sundays podcast with Terrion Arnold. “They’re calling all these flags on my boy, man. I ain’t going to lie; the flags are egregious.”
Surtain’s remark was clearly made in jest, poking fun at how rare white cornerbacks are in the modern NFL. Moss, alongside Cooper DeJean—both Iowa alumni—belongs to that small group. The topic drew attention when the Broncos drafted Moss, prompting head coach Sean Payton to address frequent comparisons between Moss and former New York Giants cornerback Jason Seahorn during 2023 training camps.
Author's Summary
Surtain humorously defended Riley Moss' penalty issues, highlighting teammate camaraderie and the uncommon presence of white cornerbacks in today’s NFL.