The NFL apparently takes criticism of its referees so seriously that you can get fined for criticizing remarks you didn’t actually say.
Texans running back Joe Mixon learned that lesson the hard way when the NFL issued him a $25,000 fine for a comment he did not make about the referees in Saturday’s 23-14 loss to the Chiefs.
The flammable remark actually came from former Bengals star T.J. Houshmandzadeh, which led to the NFL re-issuing a fine for the actual comment Mixon made that referenced the zebras.
Oh, and he said the NFL did not rescind the first fine.
“So let me get this straight NFL fines me 25k for something I didn’t even say. Call them out for it, and they response was fine me AGAIN for something that’s not even a violation without even rescinding the first one. Where’s the accountability? Just respect the players,” Mixon posted. “Cold 🌎.”
The refereeing in the first divisional-round game Saturday earned poor marks, with many fans and even ESPN analyst Troy Aikman questioning several of the questionable-at-best calls that benefitted the Chiefs.
Several Texans players reportedly referenced the referees in their postgame comments, which the NFL cracks down on in the forms of fines.
And that’s where this story begins.
Houshmandzadeh set off the chain of events by ripping the referees in an X post: “Why play the game if every 50/50 call goes with Chiefs. These officials are 🗑🗑🗑🗑 & bias.”
A Sports Illustrated article mistakenly attributed that quote to Mixon, according to ESPN, which the NFL referenced in its letter explaining the fine to Mixon, per Pro Football Talk.
Mixon did comment on the referees, but he did not use those words.
“Everybody knows how it is playing up here,” Mixon said. “You can never leave it into the refs’ hands. The whole world see, man, what it is, bro. It is what it is. When it come down to it, you can never leave it into the refs’ hands man and things like that, it’s all good though.”
Mixon took to X on Wednesday afternoon to express his utter shock with the fine.
“I’m getting fined by the @nfl for what someone else said. What’s next? I get fined by them for Connor McDavid cross checking an opponent on a @nhl game! 🤦🏽♂️,” he said in the first of two tweets on the topic. “& really tried to fine me 4 the max that’s mind blowing… smh.”
Mixon’s agent, Peter Schaffer, told Pro Football Talk they would “defend and appeal” the fine and also “explore all other legal avenues to rectify this situation.”
The NFL recognized its mistake, re-issuing the fine and citing the actual referee-centric words he made, per Pro Football Talk.
This incident will not help the NFL quell the discussion about the referees heading into Sunday’s AFC Championship game in Kansas City when the Chiefs host the Bills.
The Chiefs are small home favorites and you can be sure there will be plenty of chatter about Josh Allen not only having to defeat Patrick Mahomes but also the referees.
