While the WNBA has struggled with sex toys being thrown on the court all season, the NFL has had its first taste over the opening two weeks of the campaign with the latest incident coming in Cincinnati
The sex toy landed in the end zone after the Bengals scored a touchdown early in the third quarter(Image: CBS)
The NFL has been plagued by the adult sex toy pandemic that engulfed the WNBA.
Week 1 of the 2025 NFL season saw the league suffer its first few cases. An official had to pick up an adult sex toy and throw it off the field of play during the Cleveland Browns’ home clash with the Cincinnati Bengals, while another was seen thrown onto the field during the Indianapolis Colts’ dominant win over the Miami Dolphins.
Then, on Monday Night Football, a security guard was loudly cheered during the Minnesota Vikings’ win over the Chicago Bears after removing a sex toy that had been thrown onto the field. The issue has spilled over into Week 2.
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During the Bengals’ clash with the Jacksonville Jaguars, which was marred by Joe Burrow’s injury, a sex toy was thrown onto the field early in the third quarter. After backup quarterback Jake Browning threw a touchdown to Mitchell Tinsley to tie the game at 17-17 following the extra point, the toy landed on the field.
It was subtle, and eagle-eyed fans would have spotted it. In fact, the CBS broadcast even thought the toy was a flag, leading to the ‘FLAG’ warning appearing at the bottom of the broadcast, pausing the game when no foul had been committed.
The item, which looks to be bright green, was thrown onto the field from the stands. It follows a bizarre trend in sports games across the United States. A number of adult toys have been thrown on the court in WNBA games over the course of the 2025 season, with one fan arrested.
Last week at the Browns game, play was stopped for a few seconds as the referee quickly identified and removed the item, with a camera picking up the footage from the stands.
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It is unclear as to whether the item was thrown onto the field by a fan, with investigations sure to follow from NFL officials.
The WNBA has had to deal with the same incidents in its league, releasing a statement last month while admitting that they are working hard to clamp down on the issue. A WNBA spokesperson said in a statement: “The safety of everyone in our arenas remains a top priority.
“We are working closely with local and federal law enforcement to pursue all appropriate actions — including arrest and prosecution with felony charges where applicable — against anyone engaged in this conduct or otherwise involved in sponsoring this reckless and unacceptable behavior.”
In a follow-up statement, the league added: “Any fan who intentionally throws an object onto the court will be immediately ejected and face a minimum one-year ban in addition to being subject to arrest and prosecution by local authorities.”
One fan accused of throwing a sex toy was arrested after an incident at a game between the Atlanta Dream and the Golden State Valkyries in July.
When the sex toy craze was at its peak during the WNBA season, a cryptocurrency meme group publicly confirmed that it was behind the movement. The group decided to protest through ‘pranks’ against the ‘toxic’ environment in the crypto world.