The NFL apparently takes criticism of its referees so seriously that you can get fined for criticizing remarks you didn’t actually say.
The NFL still plans to fine Houston Texans Pro Bowl running back Joe Mixon for his comments following Saturday's 24-
Houston Texans RB Joe Mixon had a fine applied by the NFL lifted only to be fined again for a quote he did say after the game against the Chiefs.
A week later, former Bengals running back Joe Mixon is in hot water with the NFL and fined — for comments he didn’t say. As it turns out, the comments were actually said by former Bengals wideout T.J. Houshmandzadeh.
The NFL cited a quote that Joe Mixon didn't say in fining the Texans running back $25,000, according to the player and his agent.
Joe Mixon rightfully had some harsh words for the NFL on Twitter after a pretty costly blunder had the Houston Texans’ running back invoking Connor McDavid, of all athletes, in his rant.
On Saturday, former NFL wide receiver T.J. Houshmandzadeh was among many observers to rail—fairly or unfairly—against perceptions of officiating bias in favor of the Kansas City Chiefs.
The NFL has taken a mulligan. After issuing a $25,000 fine to Texans running back Joe Mixon for something he didn’t say about the officiating in Saturday's playoff game against the Chiefs, the NFL has re-issued the fine with his actual words in its place.
According to reports, the league fined Mixon for a post on X by a former NFL player, who criticized the refs in Houston's loss to Kansas City Saturday.
It’s a classic game of he-said, she-said. And Houston Texans running back Joe Mixon, is on the wrong end of it. The NFL fined Mixon $25,000 for saying this after the Kansas City Chiefs
The quote Mixon was fined for came from former Bengals wide receiver TJ Houshmandzadeh. Mixon actually said: “Everybody knows how it is playing up here. You can never leave it into the refs hands. The whole world see, man.” The NFL later re-issued the fine, this time using Mixon's actual postgame comments. He clearly doesn't agree with the fine.