NFL Investigating Referee After 'Unacceptable' Interaction with Player Is Caught on Camera
The NFL is reviewing a fourth-quarter sideline exchange in which line judge Jeff Seeman appeared to use profanity toward Arizona Cardinals tight end Trey McBride during Sunday’s game against the New York Giants.
McBride was coming off the field at MetLife Stadium when a sideline camera caught Seeman appearing to direct a curse at him, NBC News reported. The Giants went on to win, 36-24.
An NFL spokesman told NBC News the league was reviewing the matter. ESPN’s Adam Schefter posted Sunday night that the league had confirmed the review after video of the exchange circulated.
The NFL said it is reviewing the situation in which an official appears to use profanity at Cardinals TE Trey McBride.
The NFLPA Executive Director JC Tretter called for the NFL to hold the official accountable. https://t.co/NuueChAmrx
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) October 4, 2026
The clip shows Seeman, in the line judge’s striped shirt, facing the Cardinals sideline as McBride, wearing No. 85, walks past. Broadcast audio did not pick up the words cleanly, but multiple outlets reported that Seeman appeared to shout a profanity at McBride twice.
McBride turned toward the CBS camera, pointed at it, and laughed. A Cardinals staffer then directed him away from the official.
CBS sideline reporter Aditi Kinkhabwala, who wrote that she was standing next to the exchange, said the argument began with McBride asking for a pass-interference flag.
“What’s wild is that it all started with Trey McBride saying ‘please’ when pleading his case for a PI flag,” she wrote. “He was heated for sure, but I never heard a curse from him. The harshest he got was, ‘You’re ruining the game.’”
NFL Players Association executive director JC Tretter posted the video and called the official’s conduct unacceptable.
“Players are consistently held accountable when the roles are reversed,” Tretter wrote. “We expect the NFL to hold officials to the same standard.”
This kind of behavior from an official towards a player is unacceptable. Players are consistently held accountable when the roles are reversed. We expect the NFL to hold officials to the same standard. https://t.co/vawHA8Jrlt
— JC Tretter (@JCTretter) October 4, 2026
Schefter’s post noted that Tretter had called for the league to hold the official accountable. The union’s statement treated the exchange as a conduct issue, not a judgment on the pass-interference call McBride had been arguing.
NBC News reported that Seeman has worked as an NFL official since 2002. The league did not immediately say whether he would be reassigned or disciplined while the review is open.
An NFL spokesperson did not answer NBC News on whether the league has a written rule governing officials’ language toward players. Under league rules, a player can be penalized for unsportsmanlike conduct following “abusive, threatening, or insulting language or gestures” directed at opponents, teammates, officials, or league representatives.
That player rule is the comparison Tretter drew. The union’s position is that the same language, if it came from McBride, would be penalized and could draw a fine.
On Monday, Schefter appeared on the Pat McAfee Show and said he expected fallout from the McBride exchange. “The officials should never be the story,” Schefter said in comments McAfee posted.
“I think there’s gonna be some fall out from what happened with the ref and Trey McBride..
The officials should never be the story..
There was more penalties called yesterday than any day in the NFL since week 2 of the 2015 season” ~ @AdamSchefter #PMSLive https://t.co/b05YdWhyJa
— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) October 5, 2026
Schefter also said Sunday produced more penalties than any day in the NFL since Week 2 of the 2015 season. He did not tie that total to the McBride exchange.
The review is limited, for now, to the sideline interaction. The league has not said whether it is also looking at the no-call McBride was contesting when he left the field.
McBride had not publicly commented on the exchange as of Monday afternoon and the Cardinals have not issued a statement either.
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