NFL star Joe Mixon will not face a $25,000 fine after the league reversed its decision regarding comments he made about officiating during a playoff game last month. The Houston Texans running back had expressed criticism following the Texans’ 23-14 defeat to the Kansas City Chiefs, who went on to become the AFC Champions. Mixon was initially fined for his remarks after the game, particularly in light of two penalties called against the Texans’ defense for hits on Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes.
In a letter from appeals officer Chris Palmer, it was noted that during the appeal process, it was concluded that Mixon “did not necessarily publicly criticize the officials.” After the game, Mixon commented, “Everybody knows how it is playing up here,” and added, “You can never leave it into the refs’ hands. The whole world sees, man, what it is. When it comes down to it, you can never leave it into the refs’ hands. It’s all good, though.”
The letter emphasized that “the integrity of the game and its officials is the responsibility of everyone involved in the NFL.” Palmer acknowledged Mixon’s understanding of the potential impact of public criticism towards officials, especially given his prominent platform as a player.
Mixon’s original fine stemmed from a comment made by former Cincinnati receiver T.J. Houshmandzadeh on social media, which was mistakenly attributed to Mixon in a Sports Illustrated article. Houshmandzadeh had expressed his frustration with officiating, stating, “Why play the game if every 50/50 call goes with the Chiefs.” The NFL later corrected the attribution and reissued the fine based on Mixon’s actual comments.
In the divisional round game against the Chiefs, Mixon recorded 88 rushing yards and completed his first season with the Texans, appearing in 14 regular-season games and rushing for a total of 1,016 yards.
