GLENDALE — The NFL on Monday suspended line judge Jeff Seeman for two games after he was caught on camera swearing at Arizona Cardinals tight end Trey McBride late in Sunday’s 36-24 loss to the New York Giants.
The league also suspended referee Adrian Hill for one game for unprofessional conduct during the Miami-Minnesota game, the Associated Press and the Cardinals’ team website reported. Both suspensions were issued by Ramon George, the NFL’s vice president of officiating, according to the AP.
The play that started it
The exchange came with 4:57 left at MetLife Stadium and Arizona facing third-and-2. Giants cornerback Dru Phillips lost his footing and came down on the back of McBride’s legs before Jacoby Brissett’s pass arrived, but no pass interference or illegal contact flag was thrown, according to azcardinals.com. McBride jumped up to argue, with coach Mike LaFleur and Brissett also lobbying for a penalty, and Seeman answered by repeating profanities at the tight end on video that spread widely Sunday night.
Arizona punted on the next play. The Giants sealed the game when Deonte Banks returned a Brissett interception 98 yards for a touchdown as time expired.
Fox sideline reporter Aditi Kinkhabwala, who said she was standing nearby, wrote on social media that McBride began by saying “please” while making his case and that the harshest thing she heard from him was, “You’re ruining the game,” the team site reported.
Players’ union and coach react
NFL Players Association executive director JC Tretter called the official’s behavior unacceptable. “Players are consistently held accountable when the roles are reversed. We expect the NFL to hold officials to the same standard,” Tretter wrote on social media, according to the AP.
LaFleur was measured. “You hate to see it for obvious reasons. I do want to give the man a little bit of grace too,” he said Monday, calling Seeman a good man but adding that the incident “can’t happen.”
A rare punishment for officials
Discipline for game officials over their treatment of players is unusual but not unprecedented. The AP noted that umpire Roy Ellison was suspended one game in 2013 for a profane and derogatory remark to Washington tackle Trent Williams, and in 2018 was fined $9,300 and placed on a one-game administrative leave after being accused of using a derogatory term toward Buffalo’s Jerry Hughes.
In the Hill case, the referee yelled at Vikings linebacker Eric Wilson and pointed for him to get away after Wilson tried to help him up following a collision that knocked Hill down. Minnesota coach Kevin O’Connell said he had no major concerns about Hill, calling it a fast, high-energy moment.
Cardinals turn to Detroit
The suspension does nothing to change the result for Arizona, which has lost three straight since its season-opening win and sits at 1-3. The Cardinals also lost left tackle Paris Johnson Jr. for the season with a torn biceps in New York.
Arizona hosts the Detroit Lions on Sunday at State Farm Stadium. Kickoff is 1:25 p.m. Arizona time on Fox.
Photo: U.S. Navy photo by Journalist 3rd Class Ryan C. McGinley via Wikimedia Commons (public domain). Generic file photo of NFL officials before the 2005 Pro Bowl in Honolulu; not from Sunday’s game and does not show the officials named in this story.
Sources: Associated Press (via CBC Sports); Arizona Cardinals (azcardinals.com).
This article was produced with AI assistance and is based on reporting from Associated Press (via CBC Sports) and Arizona Cardinals (azcardinals.com).