The Seattle Seahawks‘ Week 10 win over the Arizona Cardinals drew headlines for the intersection between the Cardinals’ defensive lineman Calais Campbell and Seattle rookie Grey Zabel. What looked like a simple misunderstanding quickly went viral, prompting Campbell to address it on social media and clear the air.

It all went down on the field following the Seahawks’ win, as cameras captured Campbell talking with Zabel but seemingly leaving the rookie’s attempted fist bump hanging. He went on to clear his take by commenting under a viral video.

In his comment, the Cardinals’ veteran wrote, “Definitely didn’t mean to leave him hanging. He is having a great year. Earned a lot of respect in this league already. But if they had to throw the ball 25 + X I am very confident I would have had a great day rushing the passer but this isn’t a shoulda, coulda, woulda business 🤷🏾‍♂.”

The full conversation, posted on the NFL’s official Instagram account, revealed just how entertaining and good-natured the exchange between the two linemen actually was. Captioned, “calais campbell left grey zabel hanging on the fist bump too 😭”’ the video showed Campbell initiating the conversation.

Responding to Campbell, Zabel playfully pushed back, saying, “I studied your pass rush. I was about to k— you. We didn’t get opportunities though. You went against me all the time. What are you talking about? What did you study?… How would you have beat me?”

Campbell replied, “Because you’re a big outside-hand puncher.”

With a laugh, Zabel concluded, “I’m a righty puncher, you know. Come on, you got your opportunities. You ain’t getting 116 on me though.”

The viral moment showcased mutual respect, competitiveness, and the type of lighthearted banter fans rarely hear up close.

Both players left the game on a positive note regardless of their respective on-field status. Zabel, who has been working his way back from a heel injury, has been cleared with no designation for Week 11 against the Los Angeles Rams, according to ESPN’s Brady Henderson.

While he was limited at practice all week, the rookie will indeed keep his spot as the Seahawks’ starting left guard and remains one of the most consistent youngsters on the roster. As for the Cardinals, Campbell had a strong effort in the loss, recording five total tackles, including three solo stops, to prove again that even in year 17, his presence can’t be ignored.

Seahawks vs. Cardinals amid Campbell’s comment

But even if that image of a post-game handshake moment stole the internet, the matchup itself had some meaningful takeaways, at least for Arizona. One of the lone bright spots was delivered by tight end Trey McBride.

McBride often carried much of the workload, finishing the contest with nine catches for 127 yards and a touchdown. The second-half comeback by the Cardinals was spirited in nature, too. Shut out through the first two quarters of play, Arizona scored 22 points after halftime with faster passes and a better tempo of attack. The offensive line had a grueling afternoon, allowing 23 pressures, 10 quarterback hits, and five sacks.

The run defense fared no better, as Seattle, entering Sunday with inconsistent ground production, piled up 150 combined rushing yards between Zach Charbonnet and Kenneth Walker III. It got worse: The Cardinals sustained a bevy of injuries, including to Zay Jones (Achilles), Walter Nolen (knee), Darius Robinson (groin), Simi Fehoko (wrist), and several more, further muddying their outlook into the second half of the season.

For a team that seemed to have built some encouraging competitiveness in recent weeks, the loss dropped the Cardinals to 3–6 and served as a stark reminder of what’s still to come. For Seattle, however, the win shored up momentum, and the viral interaction between Campbell and Zabel provided a memorable moment to an otherwise lopsided divisional contest.