Can a PCIe 4.0 x1 Extension Cable Damage My GPU?

Hey everyone! I was trying to install a PCIe 10G Ethernet card on my motherboard, but since I'm using a micro ATX board, the PCIe 4.0 x1 slot was blocked by my GPU. To work around this, I bought a PCIe 4.0 x1 extension cable to connect the Ethernet adapter. I removed the GPU, installed the cable, and then put the GPU back in. I haven't attached the adapter yet because it hasn't arrived. However, when I powered on my PC, it wouldn't post and the motherboard flashed a white VGA light, indicating a problem with my GPU. After sending the GPU for checks, I've been told it's damaged. My question is, how likely is it that the PCIe x1 extension caused damage to the card? The PC was off during the cable installation. For reference, I'm using an Asus B650M-E WiFi motherboard and an Asus 4070 Dual GPU.