NFL Takes Rare Step, Suspends Two Referees Over In-Game Conduct: The Last Time A Ref Was Suspended Was 2018

In an unprecedented disciplinary move, the NFL suspended two game officials on Monday following separate weekend incidents involving verbal altercations with players.

Line judge Jeff Seeman has been suspended for two games, while referee Adrian Hill received a one-game suspension. Both penalties will be served without pay. The discipline, handed down by NFL Vice President of Officiating Ramon George, marks the first time the league has sidelined a game official for conduct since 2018.

The league cited “unprofessional conduct toward a player” in both instances.

Mic’d Up Meltdowns

The stiffer of the two penalties belongs to Seeman, a veteran official who lost his composure during the Arizona Cardinals’ Week 4 loss to the New York Giants. After an uncalled pass interference penalty, Cardinals tight end Trey McBride approached Seeman to protest. Broadcast cameras captured Seeman repeatedly shouting a profanity at McBride.

McBride immediately pointed toward the camera crew, alerting Seeman that the exchange was caught on tape. The footage went viral on social media shortly after the game.

Hill’s suspension stems from a chaotic sequence during the Miami Dolphins vs. Minnesota Vikings matchup. After a play was whistled dead for a pre-snap infraction, Dolphins running back Ollie Gordon II continued blocking, inadvertently driving Vikings linebacker Eric Wilson into Hill.

The impact knocked Hill to the turf. When Wilson tried to help the official back to his feet, Hill refused the assistance, stood up aggressively, and scolded the linebacker.

Players Union Demands Accountability

The NFL Players Association (NFLPA) praised the league’s swift intervention. Executive Director JC Tretter took to social media to emphasize that accountability must go both ways on the football field. Tretter noted that players are routinely fined and penalized for conduct rules, and officials must be held to the same rigid standard.

Around the league, the reactions from coaching staffs were more measured. Speaking to reporters on Monday, Cardinals head coach Mike LaFleur addressed Seeman’s outburst.

“It can’t happen obviously,” LaFleur said regarding Seman’s vulgar commentary. “But I do want to give the man a little bit of grace too. I know Jeff. He’s a good man.”

Seeman and Hill will begin serving their suspensions immediately. Replacement officials will be assigned to their respective crews for the upcoming Week 5 games.

Suspensions of game officials in the NFL are exceptionally rare, with only a handful of instances occurring over the league’s modern history. Prior to the October 2026 disciplines of Jeff Seeman and Adrian Hill, the league had not suspended an official in eight years.

While players are routinely fined or sidelined for rule violations, the NFL historically evaluates and disciplines its officiating crews behind closed doors, using a strict internal grading system that impacts their postseason assignments and job security rather than issuing public suspensions.

Modern History of NFL Official Suspensions

When the NFL does issue a public suspension, it is almost always due to an egregious confrontation with a player or a catastrophic game-management error:

Year	Official(s)	Discipline	Reason for Suspension
2026	Jeff Seeman	2 Games	Verbal altercation; caught on camera shouting a profanity at a player.
2026	Adrian Hill	1 Game	Unprofessional conduct; aggressively scolding a player who tried to help him up.
2018	Roy Ellison	1 Game	Placed on administrative leave/suspended after a heated on-field confrontation with a Buffalo Bills player.
2015	Rob Vernatchi	1 Game	Sidelined for a clock-management error after failing to notice an incorrect 18-second runoff during a Steelers-Chargers game.
2013	Roy Ellison	1 Game	Suspended for making derogatory and profane remarks directed at Washington lineman Trent Williams.
1988	Armen Terzian	2 Games	Suspended for a major officiating error involving a missed safety/touchback call (Terzian chose to retire instead).
1968	Norm Schachter’s Crew	1 Game	An entire 6-man officiating crew was suspended for one game (and barred from the postseason) after completely losing track of downs in a crucial game.

Historically, having two separate officials suspended in the exact same week is virtually unheard of in modern NFL history.