The NFL has suspended line judge Jeff Seeman for two games for swearing at Arizona Cardinals tight end Trey McBride during Sunday's loss to the New York Giants.
Seeman was caught on camera cursing at McBride during the Cardinals' 36-24 defeat. The incident drew criticism from NFL Players Association executive director JC Tretter.
Union leader condemns official's behavior
"This kind of behavior from an official towards a player is unacceptable," Tretter said on social media alongside a video clip 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 incident occurred with under five minutes remaining after officials did not call a penalty on New York's Dru Phillips on a crucial third down, which the Cardinals failed to convert. McBride questioned the call, and Seeman appeared to respond by saying "fuck you." Arizona punted, and the Giants went on to win the game. McBride did not address the incident in his postgame comments.
Second official suspended for separate incident
Referee Adrian Hill was also suspended on Monday for unprofessional conduct in the Miami-Minnesota game. Hill yelled at Vikings linebacker Eric Wilson and pointed for him to get away after Wilson tried to help him to his feet following a collision.
"I just think it's one of those situations in kind of a high-energy moment there," Minnesota coach Kevin O'Connell said Monday. "I think stuff like that can happen sometimes, but I don't have any major concerns, and I think Adrian's a really good official and does a really good job. I think that was just kind of fast moment that happened, and we can put it behind us, hopefully."
Wilson said he had no issues with Hill's conduct. "That was funny, honestly," Wilson told reporters after the game. "I ended up apologizing to him and explained the situation. He was cool about it. He understood what was going on."
Previous punishments for officials
The league's vice president of officiating, Ramon George, issued the suspensions. This is not the first time an official has been punished for interactions with a player on the field. Umpire Roy Ellison was punished twice for his behavior. In 2018, he was fined $9,300 and placed on administrative leave for one game after he was accused of calling Buffalo defensive end Jerry Hughes by a derogatory term. Ellison was also suspended for one game in 2013 for making "a profane and derogatory statement" to Washington left tackle Trent Williams.
