Houston Texans running back Joe Mixon wasn’t thrilled about the officiating in his team’s loss to the Kansas City Chiefs in the divisional round of the AFC playoffs earlier this year.
During comments to reporters after the game, Mixon lambasted the NFL’s referees and was promptly fined $25,000 by the league for public criticism of officials.
Mixon would go on to appeal the fine and eventually had the financial penalty rescinded after pleading his case through the channels set out in the league’s collective bargaining agreement.
Take a look at the full letter on the league’s decision, which was posted to Twitter by ESPN’s Texans reporter DJ Bien-Aime:
Texans RB Joe Mixon win his appeal over the fine he received following the loss to the Chiefs in divisional round. pic.twitter.com/zzTGkYElzv
— DJ Bien-Aime (@Djbienaime) February 18, 2025
Fans around the country complained about a perception of preferential treatment given to Kansas City by the NFL’s referees all season, and Mixon’s comments after Houston’s loss to the Chiefs added fuel to the fire.
Texans RB Joe Mixon on the officiating in today’s game:
“Everybody know how it is playing up here. You can never leave it into the refs hands. The whole world see, man.” pic.twitter.com/NZPIlO6YrQ
— Will Kunkel (@WillKunkelFOX) January 19, 2025
Stay tuned to see if the league’s decision to rescind Mixon’s fine enables further bellyaching about Kansas City’s relationship with the league’s officials moving forward.