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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:

—Seattle Seahawks (@Seahawks) October 30, 2016   Sign up for notifications from Insider! Stay up to date with what you want to know. Subscribe to push notifications

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