During Sunday afternoon’s game between the Arizona Cardinals and the New York Giants, cameras caught a verbal interaction between a referee and Cardinals tight end Trey McBride, and it’s safe to say that the official’s language was not safe for work or for all audiences.
Now, after the game, the NFL Players Association has issued a strong statement condemning the official’s behavior, calling it “unacceptable.”
Seeman, McBride Interaction
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During Sunday’s game, cameras caught veteran line judge Jeff Seeman engaging in what seemed to be a bit of a shouting match with McBride. As the two traded words, even a novice lip reader could pick out a phrase that Seeman shouted at McBride twice.
> 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. https://t.co/vawHA8Jrlt
>
> — JC Tretter (@JCTretter) [October 4, 2026](https://x.com/JCTretter/status/2106886909146665468?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw)
McBride clearly took notice as the camera also caught him looking up incredulously as a coach tried to pull him away from the incident.
It’s not clear what McBride said that elicited such a response from Seeman, but his words were quite clear, and it led to a statement from the NFL Players Association.
‘Unacceptable’
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In a statement shared on social media, NFL Players Association executive director JC Tretter called Seeman’s behavior “unacceptable.”
“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,” wrote NFL Players Association executive director JC Tretter [in a statement on X.](https://x.com/JCTretter/status/2106886909146665468?s=20)
Tretter does have a point; McBride almost certainly would have been penalized and potentially suspended if roles were reversed and he yelled an explicit phrase directly at an official twice.
An NFL spokesperson told Pro Football Talk that the league will look into the matter.