The NFL unveiled its officiating crew for Super Bowl LIX with referee Ron Torbert set to head up the team in New Orleans next month.  

Torbert was ᴀssigned to the NFL’s season finale after working the Washington Commander’s Divisional Round win over the Detroit Lions at the weekend. 

It is the second Super Bowl ᴀssignment for the 61-year-old, who was the referee when the Los Angeles Rams beat the Cincinnati Bengals 23-20 at Super Bowl LVI in Inglewood, California. 

The officiating crew also consists of umpire Mike Morton, down judge Max Causey, line judge Mark Stewart, field judge Mearl Robinson, side judge Boris Cheek, back judge Jonah Monroe and replay official Kevin Brown. 

For Cheek, this will be his fourth Super Bowl ᴀssignment, and he most recently was on Torbert’s crew in 2022. On December 30, he became the all-time leader in NFL games officiated with 461, pᴀssing Walt Coleman.

Morton also has Super Bowl experience – as a player. He was a linebacker for the then-St. Louis Rams team that defeated the Tennessee тιтans in Super Bowl XXXIV after the 1999 season.

Referee Ron Torbert will head up the officiating crew for Super Bowl LIX in New Orleans 

Your browser does not support iframes.

He became an NFL official in 2022, but in his full-time job, he’s a dentist in North Carolina.

The Kansas City Chiefs will continue their bid for an unprecedented Super Bowl three-peat with an AFC Championship showdown against the Buffalo Bills this weekend. 

The winner of the Chiefs’ clash against the Bills at Arrowhead will face either the Commanders or the Philadelphia Eagles in the big game with the two teams going head-to-head in the NFC Championship at Lincoln Financial Field Sunday. 

The Chiefs haven’t even punched their ticket to the Big Easy yet but NFL fans are already claiming Tuesday’s announcement falls in their favor. 

Many fans took to social media to unfoundedly claim that the NFL’s selection benefitted the reigning Super Bowl champions amid recent accusations of rigging. 

‘AKA Patrick’s teammates,’ one social media user replied to the NFL’s announcement on X, formerly known as Twitter. 

‘The mahomes crew,’ echoed another. 

On NFL fan asked: ‘Are they gonna be wearing Chiefs gear?!?’

NFL fans immediately claimed that the officiating was rigged in the Chiefs’ favor 

While a fourth also sarcastically questioned: ‘Is this one of the ones on Chiefs’ payroll?’

‘Chiefs already called to make sure he makes the right calls,’ one social media user quipped. 

‘Only thing missing from this graphic is the chiefs logo,’ another posted.  

‘It’s hysterical how the background is all Chiefs colors,’ another seemingly agreed. 

The colors for this year’s Super Bowl were unveiled as red, purple and an electric green last year.

The Chiefs punched their ticket to the AFC Championship game for a seventh straight year with a 24-13 divisional win over the Houston Texans Saturday.

However, fans on social media were left livid with a number of controversial calls that went in the reigning champions’ favor.

And former Fox Sports analyst Skip Bayless shared their fury as he appeared to suggest the game was rigged in order for the NFL to continue profiting from the Taylor Swift effect.

‘Ballgame. CONGRATS, NFL. YOU MADE SURE MAHOMES SURVIVED. THE SWIFTIES WILL BE BACK IN FULL FORCE FOR THE AFC CHAMPIONSHIP GAME. YOU GAVE MAHOMES THE REFEREE SUPPORT HE NEEDED,’ Bayless aggressively posted to X.

Meanwhile, Patrick Mahomes was met with backlash from many fans, including Barstool founder Dave Portnoy, for ‘flopping.’