NFL suspends two officials for unprofessional conduct toward players

The NFL suspended line judge Jeff Seeman for two games and referee Adrian Hill for one game, according to ESPN. ESPN reported that the suspensions were issued by NFL vice president of officiating Ramon George. Sky Sports also said that the league punished the two officials for separate incidents on Sunday.

ESPN said that Seeman was caught on camera apparently cursing at Arizona Cardinals tight end Trey McBride during the Cardinals' 36-24 loss to the New York Giants. Sky Sports reported that Arizona coach Mike LaFleur commented, 'Obviously, you hate to see it, for obvious reasons,' and added that he wanted to give Seeman a little bit of grace. Sky Sports also noted that NFL Players Association executive director JC Tretter called the behavior unacceptable and said players are held accountable when roles are reversed.

Sky Sports stated that Hill was suspended one game after yelling at Minnesota Vikings linebacker Eric Wilson and pointing for him to get away following a collision that knocked Hill over. ESPN reported that the incident occurred during the Miami-Minnesota game. Sky Sports quoted Minnesota coach Kevin O'Connell saying, 'I just think it's one of those situations in kind of a high-energy moment there,' and that he had no major concerns about Hill.

Sky Sports mentioned that this is not the first time an official has been punished for interactions with a player, citing umpire Roy Ellison's fines in 2018 and suspension in 2013. ESPN noted that the NFL Referees Association did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the recent suspensions.