The National Football League has handed down suspensions to two game officials following separate on-field incidents involving unprofessional behavior toward players over the weekend. Line judge Jeff Seeman received a two-game ban, while referee Adrian Hill was suspended for a single contest.
The penalty against Seeman stems from an exchange during Sunday's matchup between the Arizona Cardinals and the New York Giants at MetLife Stadium, where the Giants secured a 36-24 victory. During the game, Cardinals tight end Trey McBride approached officials to protest a non-call after he believed he experienced pass interference from Giants cornerback Dru Phillips while attempting to catch a pass from quarterback Jacoby Brissett.
Television cameras captured Seeman appearing to direct profanity at McBride following the complaint. Cardinals coach Mike LaFleur addressed the matter with media members on Monday, noting that while he considers Seeman a reputable individual, the conduct was unacceptable. LaFleur added that he preferred to extend some understanding toward the official while acknowledging the mistake.
The second suspension involves Adrian Hill, whose incident took place during the Minnesota Vikings' 15-10 home victory against the Miami Dolphins. In the opening quarter, after the whistle blew to halt play due to a Minnesota penalty, Dolphins running back Ollie Gordon II collided with Vikings linebacker Eric Wilson and knocked him into the referee.
As Wilson attempted to assist the official back to his feet, video footage showed Hill quickly getting up, gesturing, and directing verbal commands at the linebacker to step back. Speaking to reporters after the game, Wilson characterized the interaction with humor, mentioning that he offered an apology and clarified the sequence of events. Wilson noted that the official accepted the explanation and later expressed a desire to prevent any escalation between players.
The disciplinary action comes amid a busy week four across the league, which included the Atlanta Falcons defeating the New Orleans Saints 45-24 on Monday night behind standout performances from running backs Bijan Robinson and Brian Robinson Jr. The win lifted the Falcons to the second spot in the NFC South standings. Meanwhile, the Kansas City Chiefs, San Francisco 49ers, and Minnesota Vikings maintained their status as the league's only remaining undefeated teams, each holding a 4-0 record.
Reporting based on coverage first published by BBC Sport. Read the original report at BBC Sport.
