Jan 18, 2025; Kansas Metropolis, Missouri, USA; Houston Texans working again Joe Mixon (28) runs the ball as Kansas Metropolis Chiefs linebacker Drue Tranquill (23) defends through the second half of a 2025 AFC divisional spherical recreation at GEHA Discipline at Arrowhead Stadium. Obligatory Credit score: Denny Medley-Imagn Pictures Houston Texans working again Joe Mixon is within the clear after the NFL on Tuesday retracted a $25,000 high quality for one thing Mixon did not say.
Mixon was dinged for public criticism of the officers after his workforce’s AFC divisional spherical loss to the Kansas Metropolis Chiefs, but listening to officer Chris Palmer defined in a letter that he concluded “that (Mixon) didn’t essentially publicly criticize the officers.”
The referees had been underneath the microscope through the Chiefs’ 23-14 win over the Texans, significantly for a play during which two Houston defenders collided into one another whereas making an attempt to deal with a sliding Patrick Mahomes, resulting in an errant name for a late hit.
“You possibly can by no means go away it into the refs’ fingers,” Mixon advised reporters after the sport. “The entire world sees, man, what it’s. When it comes all the way down to it, you may by no means go away it into the refs’ fingers. It is all good, although.”
Mixon appeared to imply that the Texans ought to have carried out extra in order that the results of the sport did not come down to some calls by officers. Nonetheless, that is not what bought Mixon in hassle within the first place.
Former Cincinnati Bengals broad receiver T.J. Houshmandzadeh wrote on X, “Why play the sport if each 50/50 name goes with the Chiefs,” occurring to name the referees trash and biased.
A Sports activities Illustrated article incorrectly attributed the quote to Mixon, which was the premise of the NFL’s high quality, in accordance with Mixon and his agent.
The NFL then re-issued the high quality whereas centering Mixon’s precise, tamer feedback.
“So let me get this straight NFL fines me 25k for one thing I did not even say. Name them out for it, they usually response was high quality me AGAIN for one thing that is not even a violation with out even rescinding the primary one,” Mixon wrote on X on Jan. 22. “The place’s the accountability? Simply respect the gamers.”
Mixon bought that “respect” from Palmer on the finish of his ordeal.
“In the course of the attraction listening to, you said what you meant by your statements referring to the officers,” Palmer wrote in his letter. “As you realize, statements could be interpreted in another way by each particular person and it looks as if you clearly perceive the load and detriment of public criticism in direction of officers could be, given how impactful your platform is as a participant, which I admire.”
The state of NFL officiating was underneath intense scrutiny within the weeks main as much as Tremendous Bowl LIX, the place the two-time defending champion Chiefs fell 40-22 to the Philadelphia Eagles.
The NFL Referees Affiliation launched an announcement calling it “insulting” that some followers believed officers had been serving to Mahomes and the Chiefs with their calls, scolding followers for what they termed conspiracy theories.
–Discipline Degree Media
