PHILADELPHIA — No investigation or federal case needed this time. The NFL says a bad football used in a game Thursday night was simply defective.

The league said in a statement Friday that a ball was removed from play during the third quarter of the Steelers-Eagles game in Philadelphia and will be sent back to manufacturer Wilson for review.

Questions about an underinflated football flared among fans online after the preseason opener when a sideline radio reporter tweeted that he saw a ball looking “VERY deflated” after an incompletion thrown by Pittsburgh rookie Mason Rudolph.

NFL officials say all the proper procedures were followed during the game.