Trey McBride argued for a flag on Sunday and got an earful instead. A day later, the Arizona Cardinals tight end had the league on his side. The NFL suspended line judge Jeff Seeman two games on Monday for his conduct toward a player.
The exchange came with under five minutes left in the fourth quarter of a 36-24 loss to the New York Giants at MetLife Stadium. On third-and-2, Giants cornerback Andru Phillips made contact with McBride before Jacoby Brissett’s pass arrived, and no flag came out. McBride made his case to Seeman, and video appeared to show the official cursing at him. McBride was not penalized.
Why the Jeff Seeman suspension matters to the Cardinals
Officials are rarely disciplined in public. CBS Sports noted it was a punishment the league had not used in eight years, and it was handed out twice on Monday. Referee Adrian Hill got one game for yelling at Minnesota Vikings linebacker Eric Wilson after the two collided. NFL vice president of officiating Ramon George issued both suspensions.
McBride’s side of it holds up well. CBS reporter Aditi Kinkhabwala, who witnessed the exchange, reported that McBride never cursed at the official. NFLPA executive director JC Tretter called Seeman’s behavior unacceptable and said officials should be held to the same standard as players. As that same report noted, New England Patriots coach Mike Vrabel drew an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty for similar language toward referee Bill Vinovich.
None of it changes the result. Arizona has lost three straight, and the game ended on a 98-yard interception return by Deonte Banks. The Giants held McBride to seven catches for 31 yards on 12 targets. PFF gave him a 54.5 offensive grade on 64 snaps. He still has 33 receptions, which ranks first in the NFL and first among tight ends.
The Cardinals host the Detroit Lions on Sunday. The league’s ruling does not address the no-call itself, only how Seeman handled the conversation that followed. For a player who kept his composure in a game that was getting away from his team, that still counts for something.
