NFL rescinds positive for Texans RB Joe Mixon after misattributed quote

Houston Texans operating again Joe Mixon is within the clear after the NFL on Tuesday retracted a $25,000 positive for one thing Mixon did not say.

Mixon was dinged for public criticism of the officers after his group’s AFC divisional spherical loss to the Kansas Metropolis Chiefs, but listening to officer Chris Palmer defined in a letter that he concluded “that (Mixon) didn’t essentially publicly criticize the officers.”

The referees have been beneath the microscope through the Chiefs’ 23-14 win over the Texans, significantly for a play during which two Houston defenders collided into one another whereas attempting to sort out a sliding Patrick Mahomes, resulting in an errant name for a late hit.

“You may by no means depart it into the refs’ fingers,” Mixon advised reporters after the sport. “The entire world sees, man, what it’s. When it comes right down to it, you possibly can by no means depart it into the refs’ fingers. It is all good, although.”

Mixon appeared to imply that the Texans ought to have performed extra in order that the results of the sport did not come down to some calls by officers. Nonetheless, that is not what bought Mixon in hassle within the first place.

Former Cincinnati Bengals extensive receiver T.J. Houshmandzadeh wrote on X, “Why play the sport if each 50/50 name goes with the Chiefs,” occurring to name the referees trash and biased.

A Sports activities Illustrated article incorrectly attributed the quote to Mixon, which was the idea of the NFL’s positive, based on Mixon and his agent.

The NFL then re-issued the positive whereas centering Mixon’s precise, tamer feedback.

“So let me get this straight NFL fines me 25k for one thing I did not even say. Name them out for it, they usually response was positive me AGAIN for one thing that is not even a violation with out even rescinding the primary one,” Mixon wrote on X on Jan. 22. “The place’s the accountability? Simply respect the gamers.”

Mixon bought that “respect” from Palmer on the finish of his ordeal.

“In the course of the enchantment listening to, you acknowledged what you meant by your statements referring to the officers,” Palmer wrote in his letter. “As , statements might be interpreted in a different way by each particular person and it looks like you clearly perceive the burden and detriment of public criticism in direction of officers might be, given how impactful your platform is as a participant, which I admire.”

The state of NFL officiating was beneath intense scrutiny within the weeks main as much as Tremendous Bowl LIX, the place the two-time defending champion Chiefs fell 40-22 to the Philadelphia Eagles.

The NFL Referees Affiliation launched an announcement calling it “insulting” that some followers believed officers have been serving to Mahomes and the Chiefs with their calls, scolding followers for what they termed conspiracy theories.

–Area Degree Media