League confirms review
The NFL said Sunday it is reviewing an interaction between an official and Trey McBride that was captured on broadcast video late in a game in New York.
The league’s statement that it is examining the matter came after television footage circulated showing an exchange along the sideline as McBride came off the field in the fourth quarter.
What the video appears to show
Nbc News reported that sideline cameras appeared to capture Jeff Seeman using profanity toward McBride as the player exited the field.
Nbc 6 South Florida published video from the CBS broadcast that the outlet says appears to show Seeman saying "F--- you" to McBride twice along the sideline with the contest close late in the fourth quarter. That report also noted McBride appeared to gesture toward the camera afterward with a smile.
Nbc 6 South Florida further reported the exchange occurred on a drive that followed a play in which officials did not call pass interference or illegal contact on Dru Phillips for contact before the ball arrived. The outlet linked the timing of the no-call and the sideline interaction in its account of the footage.
Reaction and expectations for accountability
The NFL confirmed it will review the recorded interaction as part of its officiating oversight processes. An NFL spokesman told Nbc News the league was looking into the matter.
Nbc 6 South Florida posted a statement from NFL Players Association executive director JC Tretter, who shared the video on social media and wrote that "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."
The review by the league will determine how the incident is handled under NFL policies governing officiating conduct; the NFL has not released further details on potential disciplinary steps or a timeline for its review.
The incident has renewed attention on sideline interactions and the standards to which officials are held. For now, the NFL's confirmation that it is examining the exchange is the clearest, official development in a story driven by broadcast footage and responses from player-representative leadership.
