Seahawks player gets penalty for hugging referee after scoring a touchdown

Twitter/Seattle Seahawks

Seattle Seahawks safety Earl Thomas may be the first player this season to be penalized for a hug.

In the first quarter against the New Orleans Saints, Thomas recovered a fumble and ran the ball in for a touchdown.

Perhaps to mock the NFL's strict celebration penalties, Thomas then ran over and hugged the referee. While the ref did seem to laugh, he also threw his flag, hitting Thomas and the Seahawks with a 15-yard penalty.

Here's the full play: