NFL Reviewing Referee Confrontations With Cardinals' McBride, Vikings' Wilson
The short version
- The NFL is reviewing footage of officials' heated exchanges with Cardinals tight end Trey McBride and Vikings linebacker Eric Wilson.
- McBride disputed a pass interference ruling from line judge Jeff Seeman during Arizona's 36-24 loss to the Giants; the broadcast seemed to capture profanity.
- NFLPA executive director JC Tretter said officials must be held to the same standard as players.
- Wilson was knocked into referee Adrian Hill during Minnesota's game against Miami, and Hill appeared to shout at him after getting up.
- Patriots coach Mike Vrabel was penalized the same day for directing expletives at an official.
Widely circulated footage appearing to show referees shouting at Trey McBride and Eric Wilson has triggered an NFL review and a union demand for equal accountability for officials.
The NFL has opened an examination of two heated confrontations between members of its officiating crews and players after video of the moments circulated widely online. The footage appears to capture referees shouting at Arizona Cardinals tight end Trey McBride and Minnesota Vikings linebacker Eric Wilson, and the fallout now sits with the league office.
The two episodes have also stirred wider questions about the tone game officials use when dealing with players. That discussion gained force from JC Tretter, the executive director of the NFL Players Association, who pressed the league to apply to its on-field referees the same expectations it places on the athletes themselves.
McBride's moment came during the fourth quarter of Arizona's 36-24 defeat against the New York Giants. The tight end was contesting a pass interference ruling from line judge Jeff Seeman, and the television feed seemed to pick up Seeman answering with profane language. Within hours the clip was spreading across social platforms, prompting pushback from fans.
Tretter then addressed the matter in a public message. "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," he wrote.
ESPN's Adam Schefter subsequently reported that the league was reviewing the situation after Tretter's comments. A request for comment was also submitted to the NFL Referees Association, though no reply had arrived by the time that report was published.
The second incident under review involved Minnesota linebacker Eric Wilson, whose encounter with an official unfolded under far different circumstances during the Vikings' game against the Miami Dolphins. As one play ended, a cluster of players got tied up, and Wilson was knocked into referee Adrian Hill, sending the official to the ground.
Wilson immediately tried to help Hill to his feet, according to the footage that circulated afterward. Once upright, however, Hill appeared to direct a shouting outburst at the linebacker, and another member of the crew stepped in to separate the pair.
The same day brought a separate officiating storyline involving New England Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel, who drew a penalty for directing expletives at a member of the crew during a dispute over a call. Speaking afterward, Vrabel said he had labeled the decision "terrible" and maintained that he had expressed similar sentiments many times in the past.
That contrast, reinforced by the union's stance, has amplified the argument that referees should face consequences comparable to those applied to players and coaches. The league's inquiry could determine whether any action follows from the McBride and Wilson incidents, and pressure is building on the NFL to respond publicly.
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