Houston Texans star running back Joe Mixon received a significant $25,000 fine from the NFL for critiquing referees, despite the fact that he didn’t actually make the comments for which he was penalized. Mixon’s agent, Peter Schaffer, informed ESPN that the fine stemmed from a misattributed quote.
Following Saturday’s game, former Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver T.J. Houshmanzadeh expressed strong criticism of the officials in a social media post, stating, “Why play the game if every 50/50 call goes with the Chiefs. These officials are [trash] & bias.” Sports Illustrated mistakenly attributed this quote to Mixon in an article published after the game, which led the NFL to cite it in their decision to impose the fine.
Mixon was understandably upset about being fined for comments he never made. In a post on X, he remarked, “I’m getting fined by the NFL for what someone else said. What’s next? I get fined by them for Connor McDavid cross-checking an opponent in an NHL game!” He further indicated that the league penalized him again for speaking out against the fine without even revoking the initial penalty. “So let me get this straight: NFL fines me $25K for something I didn’t even say. Call them out for it, and their response is to fine me AGAIN for something that’s not even a violation without rescinding the first one. Where’s the accountability? Just respect the players,” he expressed in another post.
Mixon’s agent confirmed to ESPN that they are appealing the fine.
