Giants' Aaron Robinson called for laughable taunting penalty vs. Patriots

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The NFL's tolerance for taunting has gone way down in recent years, and if Thursday's preseason game between the Patriots and Giants is any indication, not much has changed entering the 2022 season.

Giants cornerback Aaron Robinson broke up a pass from Patriots quarterback Brian Hoyer that was intended for wide receiver Kristian Wilkerson late in the first quarter. It wasn't a great pass from Hoyer, but Robinson did a nice job to prevent a touchdown catch.

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Robinson made the incomplete motion as he stood over Wilkerson after the play. It looked like a harmless gesture. But the official nearby thought differently and penalized the Giants defensive back for unsportsmanlike conduct (taunting).

Check out the play in the video below:

That's really weak.

ESPN's Mina Kimes summed up the mood of many people on social media with the following tweet:

Unless Robinson said something inappropriate toward Wilkerson, there's no way he did enough to warrant a taunting penalty. The officials need to let players express themselves at least a little bit after making good plays.

It actually got worse for Robinson, who gave up a touchdown to rookie wideout Tyquan Thornton two plays later. He was penalized for defensive holding but the Patriots' declined it. 

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