NFL Punishes Referee, Official For Behavior Toward Players

October 5, 2026 · Yahoo Sports

The NFL cracked down on players making gestures in celebration in Week 2. Before Week 5, the league is sending a message to referees about their behavior on the field.

Video circulating online appeared to show line judge Jeff Seeman yelling at Trey McBride after the Arizona Cardinals tight end complained about being hit.

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Referee Adrian Hill confronted Eric Wilson after the Minnesota Vikings linebacker was blocked into Hill by Miami Dolphins running back Ollie Gordon II.

The league reviewed both incidents and decided to hand out punishment on Monday.

Per ESPN’s Josh Weinfuss, NFL Vice President of Officiating Ramon George issued a two-game suspension for Seeman and a one-game suspension for Hill due to “unprofessional conduct toward a player.”

The suspensions came after NFLPA Executive Director J.C. Tretter advocated for a punishment that would be on par with what league players would be accountable for in a similar situation.

“This kind of behavior from an official towards a player is unacceptable,” Tretter posted on X. “Players are consistently held accountable when roles are reversed. We expect the NFL to hold officials to the same standard.”

NFL cracks down on officials

Jan 5, 2025; Tampa, Florida, USA; referee Adrian Hill (29) umpire Roy Ellison (81) and referee Jerome Boger (23) discuss a call during a game between the New Orleans Saints and Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the fourth quarter at Raymond James Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images

The response for Hill was somewhat more interesting than the suspension for Seeman. Wilson told reporters after Minnesota’s win that Hill was “cool about” the situation and told the linebacker that he didn’t want a fight to break out between Wilson and Gordon. He wanted to break up the fight.

Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell said Hill was a good official and the moment during Sunday’s incident happened really quickly.

It doesn’t appear that George felt the same way.

That wasn’t the only spicy moment between officials and teams on Sunday. New England Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel was penalized for unsportsmanlike conduct for using profanity when criticizing an official’s call.

As of this publishing, Vrabel has not been suspended.

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