NFL fines Houston Texans running back Joe Mixon for comments he never made about officials during the team’s controversial playoff loss to the Kansas City Chiefs last Saturday.
After Mixon and his agent appealed the fine and publicly pointed out that Mixon did not make those comments, the NFL reissued the fine with comments he had made.
The original fine claimed Mixon said, “Why play the game if every 50/50 call goes with the Chiefs. These officials are trash and bias.”
That statement did not come from Mixon. Former NFL wide receiver TJ Houshmandzadeh wrote that in a post on social media.
CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON Pakinomist
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, Monday, Nov. 18, 2024, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/Jerome Miron)
Mixon then went on a social media tirade, denying that he had spoken out and expressing outrage at the league’s fine.
The NFL later reissued the fine with his actual words instead, which read “Everybody knows how it plays up here. You can never leave it in the hands of the refs. The whole world’s watching, man,” according to NBC Sport.
The league’s rules prohibit public criticism from operating “because it calls into question the integrity of and public confidence in our game.”
Officials came under widespread criticism from Texans players and head coach DeMeco Ryans, as well as many media pundits and fans on social media over two that questionably roughed up the passing penalties called against the Texans for hits on Patrick Mahomes last Saturday.
COWBOYS EYE EX-JETS HEAD OFFICER ROBERT SALEH AFTER MOVING ON FROM MIKE MCCARTHY: REPORT
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 edge rusher Will Anderson Jr. was called for roughing the passer on third down in the first quarter. Anderson appeared to shove Mahomes in the chest after he threw an incomplete pass to tight end Travis Kelce. Anderson was flagged.
The second penalty came during a Mahomes scramble in the third quarter. He had two run blockers and three defenders bear down on him. He moved to the right and then back to the left as he decided to slide.
Explaining the calls to a pool reporter after the game, head referee Clay Martin said that one of the controversial calls was the result of “forceful contact to the facemask area,” which warranted a flag. He said there was forced contact to Mahomes’ “hairline” on another unnecessary roughness call.
Mahomes himself has defended the refs for the calls when he was asked by reporters on Wednesday if he thought the refs gave him preferential treatment.
Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes, #15, is tackled by Azeez Al-Shaair, #0 of the Houston Texans, in the first quarter of the AFC Divisional Playoff at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium on January 18, 2025 in Kansas City, Missouri. (Jamie Squire/Getty Images)
“I don’t feel that way,” Mahomes replied. “At the end of the day, the referees are doing their best to call the game as fair and correct as they possibly can. And all you can do is go out there 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.
“You get new referees every year, you get new circumstances, and you can never really tell because every game is different. And that’s what makes the NFL so special. I feel like I just kept playing the game and I’m just trying to win And whatever happens, happens.”
Meanwhile, Kelce refused to talk about the issue when asked about it by his brother, Jason Kelce, during their “New Heights” podcast on Wednesday.
“I’d like to plead the fifth,” the tight end said, jokingly referring to his constitutional right to remain silent.
