The NFL Referees Association intends to challenge the punishments issued to two officials by the league this week for unprofessional conduct.
The NFL suspended two referees on Monday following clashes with players during Week 4’s slate of action.
Line judge Jeff Seeman was banned for two games after he was filmed shouting at Arizona Cardinals tight end Trey McBride during Sunday’s loss to the New York Giants.
And referee Adrian Hill was also suspended for one game after his furious reaction after being inadvertently knocked to the turf by Minnesota Vikings defender Eric Wilson in their win over the Miami Dolphins.
The Referees Association said on Tuesday that it will challenge the severity of the suspensions, maintaining that they go beyond the appropriate punishment.
‘NFL officials have a responsibility to conduct themselves professionally on the field, and the actions in these incidents fell short of that standard,’ NFLRA executive director Scott Green said in a statement. ‘Accountability matters, but that should not result in discipline that is excessive or inconsistent with established precedent.’
The NFL Referees Association intends to challenge the punishments issued to line judge Jeff Seeman (left) and referee Adrian Hills (right) for unprofessional conduct
The NFL Players’ Association sought punishment for Seeman after footage showed him appearing to tell McBride ‘f*** you’ multiple times after he objected to a no-call on a pass in his direction.
NFLPA executive director, former Cleveland Browns offensive lineman JC Tretter wrote on X: ‘This kind of behavior from an official towards a player is unacceptable. Players are consistently held accountable when the roles are reversed. We expect the NFL to hold officials to the same standard.’
The NFL reviewed the incident, as well as the exchange between Wilson and Hill in the Vikings win.
Dolphins running back Ollie Gordon was blocking Wilson after a play was blown dead, pushing him into the referee and knocking him down.
Hill got up and yelled in Wilson’s face, pointing him back to his huddle but refraining from throwing a flag.
‘Officials are routinely subjected to highly charged interactions and, at times, verbal abuse from players and coaches,’ Green said.
‘While that never excuses misconduct by an official, it shouldn’t be dismissed as simply part of the game. The League expects the highest level of professionalism from its officials, and it should demand the same from everyone on the field.’
The NFLRA said it would meet with the league’s officiating department to discuss disciplinary standards and with players’ union leadership to address on-field conduct and the growing levels of confrontations between players and officials.
NFL line judge Seeman (right) was caught cursing at Cardinals tight end Trey McBride
Hill also got in the face of Eric Wilson after he was inadvertently knocked over to the turf
‘We will defend the principle that discipline must be fair, consistent and proportionate,’ Green said. ‘Holding officials accountable while ignoring or minimizing the conduct directed at them is neither fair nor an effective way to address this issue.’
NFL Vice President of Officiating Ramon George handed down the suspensions, which will mean neither takes to the field during Week 5.
CBS sideline reporter Aditi Kinkhabwala shared her view of the incident between McBride and Seeman, as the Cardinals tight end pleaded for a pass interference flag late in the game.
‘I was standing right there,’ Kinkhabwala said on Twitter. ‘What’s wild is that it all started with Trey McBride saying ‘please’ when pleading his case for a PI flag.
‘He was heated for sure, but I never heard a curse from him. The harshest he got was, ‘You’re ruining the game.’
Seeman has worked exclusively as a line judge in the league since 2002, officiating multiple playoff games including Super Bowl LI and Super Bowl XLIV.
Hill worked as a college football official before making it to the NFL in 2010, starting as a line judge before being promoted to referee for the 2019 season
