NFL Referees Association to Appeal Recent Official Suspensions

The NFL Referees Association said on Tuesday it will seek to reduce the penalties imposed on officials Adrian Hill and Jeff Seeman following Week 4 games. The union plans to meet with the league’s officiating department to "challenge the severity" of the discipline and also arrange discussions with leaders of the NFL Players Association about on-field conduct and recent confrontations between players and officials.

NFL vice president of officiating Ramon George confirmed that Seeman received a two-game suspension after he was observed yelling at Arizona Cardinals tight end Trey McBride during the fourth quarter of the Giants-Cardinals matchup. Hill was suspended for one game after an incident in the Dolphins-Vikings game in which he was knocked down by Vikings linebacker Eric Wilson and reacted visibly.

NFLPA executive director JC Tretter responded on social media, calling Seeman’s behavior unacceptable and urging that officials be held to the same accountability standards applied to players.

The suspensions mark the first disciplinary action against an NFL referee since December 2018, when umpire Roy Ellison was placed on administrative leave. Seeman, who began his officiating career in 2002 and has worked more than 380 games, has served primarily as a line judge since 2003.