After a short respite in which NFL officials were out of the spotlight for a few weeks, we saw the return of questionable and borderline unprofessional work from the league’s men in pinstripes during the Green Bay Packers’ game against the Detroit Lions on Sunday.
And since the most curious calls were directed at the Packers, it’s no surprise that the team’s postgame media session was filled with a devastating examination of the referees’ poor work — led by safety Xavier McKinney who called the referees “bull-ts.”
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Yes, McKinney should expect to be fined for sharing his opinion, but he definitely got his money’s worth during a minute-long rant about one particular controversial call.
Detroit Lions wide receiver Jameson Williams dives into the end zone on a touchdown reception in front of Green Bay Packers safety Xavier McKinney (29) during the first half of an NFL football game, Oct. 25, 2026, in Detroit. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya)
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“I don’t know how the NFL (is) going to handle this, but I’m not a big fan of the referees right now,” McKinney told reporters in the locker room. “I don’t think it’s great to referee if I’m completely honest. I think it’s bullshit, most of the time.”
McKinney pointed out an obvious situation in the third quarter in which Detroit Lions receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown was involved in what appeared to be a tackle, but because he was on top of his tackler, he apparently decided he wasn’t actually down.
Then St. Brown got up and left as if the room wasn’t dead. There had been no audible whistle. So, defensive lineman Devonte Wyatt took on St. Brown.
As these twists and turns were taking place, St. Brown’s leg flew upward and struck approaching referee Terry Killens Jr. in the groin. Killens Jr. came down and started throwing a flag while on his back.
Unnecessary roughness on Wyatt.
Amon-Ra St. Brown (14) of the Detroit Lions warms up before the game against the Washington Commanders at Northwest Stadium on November 9, 2025 in Landover, Maryland. (G Fiume/Getty Images)
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The Lions took advantage of the penalty to move closer to a possible touchdown that gave them a 17-14 lead.
“I think there are drives where they make calls that don’t even make sense,” McKinney said. “We tried to take him down and then their player hit the ref and he fell. He gets angry on the ground and he just throws the flag. He doesn’t even know who hit him.
“So it’s just like it’s just bullshit, it’s happening, bullshit, calls.”
Yes, a fine is issued because the NFL has a strict policy that states that public criticism by players or club employees of game officials or officials is prohibited and may result in a fine and/or suspension.
This includes comments during press conferences, interviews, broadcasts, live broadcasts and social media posts. The league can discipline someone when the criticism concerns a specific decision or the general quality of the officiating.
NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell speaks to the media during the Super Bowl winning team’s head coach and MVP press conference at the Mandalay Bay North Convention Center on February 12, 2024 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Don Juan Moore/Getty Images)
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But discipline is not the major point. The questionable official is.
The NFL had an officiating problem this year. The league acknowledged this when it suspended two officials in separate incidents on October 5. Additionally, penalty flags are near an all-time high.
And while Commissioner Roger Goodell said last week that more flags doesn’t necessarily equate to bad officiating, the league is concerned on some level. The league recently asked officials not to hold late-game calls, but attention-grabbing plays are a concern.
NFL executive vice president of football operations Troy Vincent discussed the suspension of the two officials last week and said the league was currently dealing with “the aftermath of a grievance” filed by referee Adrian Hill, who was suspended for one game for the way he treated a player without knowing the circumstances of his reaction after being knocked down.
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Green Bay Packers head coach Matt LaFleur reacts after a call in the third quarter against the Detroit Lions at Ford Field in Detroit, Michigan on October 25, 2026. (IMAGINE IMAGES via Reuters Connect)
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Killens Jr. appeared to find himself in a similar situation as he lay on the turf while throwing his flag.
Packers coach Matt LaFleur was cautious about the officiating early on, but he left no doubt that he was unhappy that his team was penalized when there was no clear whistle to end the game.
“There was no whistle, and the guy kept running, and our guy didn’t hear a whistle. He kept playing too, and then we get called for a penalty,” LaFleur said. “So, I don’t know. They were trying to tell me that the room was obviously dead. I’m like, ‘How do you know if you don’t hear a whistle?'”
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Referee Alex Moore didn’t hear a whistle either. But in a pool report after the match, he declared the game over as if it was a fact known to everyone.
“We decided the play was finished,” Moore said. “I honestly can’t hear if there was a whistle or not, but the tackler made the tackle, the play was over. Then there was one more action, and he tackled him again hard after the play was over.”
It was the most controversial call of a game with several questionable calls, several of which resulted in raising flags against the Packers for roughing the passer.
Defensive tackle Karl Brooks, who was called for one of those roughing penalties, declined to speak to reporters after the game.
He’s one of the few Packers players hit with questionable calls Sunday who knows he won’t be fined by the NFL for ripping off officials.
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