The NFL may have another controversy on its hands.

Amid a firestorm over how the league handled the Ray Rice domestic violence situation, the league may have to deal with backlash over why a devout Muslim playing for the Kansas City Chiefs was penalized after a post-touchdown prayer Monday night.

Late in Kansas City's 41-14 victory against New England, safety Husain Abdullah intercepted a Tom Brady pass and returned it for a "pick six" touchdown. Abdullah slid to his knees when he reached the end zone and then, in an uninterrupted motion, bowed forward in Sajdah, a religious prayer.

The officials penalized him 15 yards for unsportsmanlike conduct.

Abdullah told reporters afterward he wasn't penalized for prayer, but rather for dropping to his knees. The lesson learned, he said, was to "stop before you drop."

Tuesday, the NFL acknowledged the penalty shouldn't have been called.

While players are prohibited from engaging in any celebration or demonstration while on the ground, "the officiating mechanic in this situation is not to flag a player who goes to the ground as part of religious expression," NFL spokesman Michael Signora told ESPN. "As a result, there should have been no penalty on the play."

The fallout over the penalty created a buzz Tuesday on TV and radio talk shows on on social media.