The NFL fined Houston Texans running back Joe Mixon for comments he never made about referees during the team’s controversial playoff loss to the Kansas City Chiefs last Saturday.
After Mixon and his agent appealed the fine and publicly noted that Mixon did not make those comments, the NFL reissued the fine with the comments he did make.
The original fine stated that Mixon said, “Why play if every 50/50 decision goes to the Chiefs? These officials are trash and biased.”
That statement did not come from Mixon. Former NFL receiver TJ Houshmandzadeh wrote it in a social media post.
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Houston Texans running back Joe Mixon, #28, and quarterback CJ Stroud, #7, celebrate Mixon’s touchdown run against the Dallas Cowboys during the first half of an NFL football game on Monday November 18, 2024 in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/Jerome Miron)
Mixon then went on a social media tirade denying he made the statement and expressing outrage over the league’s fine.
The NFL later reissued the fine with its actual words in its place, which read: “Everybody knows how it’s played here. You can never leave it up to the refs. Everybody sees it, man,” according to NBC. Sports.
League rules prohibit public criticism of officiating “because it calls into question the integrity and public confidence in our game.”
The officials came under widespread criticism from Texans players and head coach DeMeco Ryans, as well as many media pundits and fans on social media for two questionably harsh passer penalties that were imposed against the Texans. for hitting Patrick Mahomes last Saturday.
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Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes, #15, is hit during an NFL football AFC Divisional Playoff game against the Houston Texans at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium on January 18, 2025 in Kansas City, Missouri. (Perry Knotts/Getty Images)
The first penalty came when Houston running back Will Anderson Jr. was called for roughing the passer on a third down in the first quarter. Anderson appeared to shove Mahomes in the chest after he had thrown an incomplete pass to tight end Travis Kelce. Anderson was singled out.
The second penalty came during a Mahomes scramble in the third quarter. He had two blockers running and three defenders closing in on him. He moved to the right and then to the left when he decided to slide.
Head referee Clay Martin explained the calls to a pool reporter after the game, saying one of the controversial calls was the result of “forced contact with the mask area,” which warranted a flag. He said there was forced contact with Mahomes’ “hairline” on another unnecessary roughness call.
Mahomes himself defended the referees for the decisions when asked by reporters on Wednesday if he believed the referees were giving him preferential treatment.
Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes, #15, is tackled by Azeez Al-Shaair, #0 of the Houston Texans, during the first quarter of the AFC Divisional Playoff at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium on the 18th January 2025 in Kansas City. Missouri. (Jamie Squire/Getty Images)
“I don’t feel that way,” Mahomes responded. “At the end of the day, the referees are doing everything they can to make the game as fair and appropriate as possible. And all you can do is go out and play the game you love as hard as you can and live with the results. ..I think that’s what we preach here in Kansas City.
“There are new referees every year, new circumstances arise and you can never know because every play is different. And that’s what makes the NFL so special. I feel like I’ve continued to play and just try to win. And no matter what It happens, it happens.”
Meanwhile, Kelce declined to talk about the issue when his brother, Jason Kelce, asked him about it during his “New Heights” podcast on Wednesday.
“I’d like to defend the Fifth,” the tight end said, jokingly referring to his constitutional right to remain silent.
