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The NFL on Tuesday confirmed it had suspended an official who was caught on camera appearing to swear at Arizona Cardinals players Trey McBride.
But the suspension is only part of a much bigger officiating storm, with one figure around the league calling Sunday an “embarrassment for football” as anger towards NFL referees continues to grow.
Line judge Jeff Seeman was given a two-game suspension after dropping an F-bomb in an exchange with McBride during Arizona’s 36-24 defeat to the New York Giants on Sunday.
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McBride was seen shaking his head and laughing after realising the broadcast cameras had picked up the exchange.
Seeman’s conduct had been criticised by NFL Players Association chief JC Tretter, who on Sunday called for action.
“This kind of behaviour from an official towards a player is unacceptable,” Tretter said in a social media post above a video of the incident.
“Players are consistently held accountable when the roles are reversed. We expect the NFL to hold officials to the same standard.”
The NFL said Seeman had been sanctioned for “unprofessional conduct toward a player.”
The incident sparked plenty of outrage around the league, with NFL insider Jordan Schultz revealing some of the frustration coming from coaches and executives.
Schultz shared several comments from people around the league on X, including: “What happened Sunday was an embarrassment for football.”
Others said: “Some of these refs are making it about themselves”, “It’s bullshit that there’s no accountability” and “We are playing with dangerous waters with the way officiating is going right now.”
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Schultz added that the anger towards NFL officiating went well beyond the two incidents which ultimately resulted in suspensions.
Separately, the NFL handed a one-game suspension to referee Adrian Hill for his actions during Sunday’s game between the Minnesota Vikings and Miami Dolphins.
Hill appeared to react angrily after being inadvertently knocked to the ground by Vikings linebacker Eric Wilson, who bumped into the official following a collision with Miami running back Ollie Gordon.
Wilson, who had subsequently attempted to help the official to his feet, laughed off the incident following the game.
“That was funny, honestly. I ended up apologising to him and explained the situation. He was cool about it,” Wilson said of his exchange with Hill.
But referees and their decisions have been a major talking point to start the season, with the two incidents only adding to the wider discussion around NFL officiating.
Conor Orr from Sports Illustrated weighed in on the growing frustration around NFL officiating, arguing the two suspensions were part of a much bigger problem facing the league.
Orr compared NFL officials to kindergarten teachers reaching breaking point after a chaotic start to the school year.
“NFL officials, like kindergarten teachers finally hitting the one-month mark of a new year and reaching a stimulation overload after a kid named Liam jammed the pencil sharpener with Goldfish crackers,” Orr wrote.
He pointed out just how unusual it is for NFL officials to be suspended, with previous cases generally involving major rule mistakes or incidents involving fans.
But Orr believed Monday’s suspensions felt different, coming after weeks of growing tension between players, coaches and officials.
“Monday’s news felt like the pound of flesh that was long overdue as tensions between officials and players have reached a fevered pitch,” Orr wrote.
He also pointed to the controversial finish between the Denver Broncos and Los Angeles Rams a week earlier, where officials admitted they had got a crucial call wrong.
The fallout only continued when Sean McVay publicly revealed the admission, adding another layer to what has quickly become a growing issue for the NFL.
Even before the suspensions were handed down, ESPN insider Adam Schefter had warned there could be fallout from what unfolded across the NFL on Sunday.
Speaking on The Pat McAfee Show, Schefter pointed specifically to the incident involving Seeman and McBride.
“The officials should never be the story,” Schefter said.
“There was more penalties called yesterday than any day in the NFL since week 2 of the 2015 season.”
Football analyst Warren Sharp also took to X to break down some of the numbers behind the officiating through the opening four weeks of the season.
“If you watched the NFL and thought something didn’t feel right, you’re not alone,” Sharp wrote.
Sharp pointed out there have been more penalty flags through four weeks than any season in over a decade, with plenty also coming in critical moments of games.
According to Sharp, there have been more red zone penalties per game by offences than ever before, while penalties on third and fourth downs in the second half of games are also at an all-time high.
“Refs are impacting the most important moments of games unlike we’ve ever seen before in the NFL, and even some of the coaches are speaking up,” Sharp added.