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The NFL fined Texans running back Joe Mixon $25,000 for criticizing the referees after his divisional game against the referees on Saturday. There’s just one problem: Mixon didn’t make the statement that earned him the fine.
“Why play the game if every 50/50 call goes with Chiefs,” former Bengals wide receiver TJ Houshmandzadeh wrote on social media during the Texans‘ clash with Kansas City in the divisional round. “These officials are [trash] & bias[ed].”
According to Mixon and his agent, Peter Schaffer, the NFL notified the running back that he was being fined for his criticism of the officials after the divisional round meeting with the Chiefs. The league included Houshmandzadeh’s quote, which it attributed to Mixon, in its justification for the fine.
“I’m getting fined by the [NFL] for what someone else said,” Mixon posted on social media Wednesday. “What’s next? I get fined by them for Connor McDavid cross-checking an opponent on a [NHL] game! (facepalm emoji)”
When asked about the officiating after the divisional round loss, Mixon did tell reporters Saturday, “You can never leave it into the refs’ hands.” But the running back and his agent say it was Houshmandzadeh’s quote on social media, not Mixon’s after the game, that was cited in imposing the fine.
“We will defend Joe and have appealed the fine and will explore all other legal avenues to rectify this situation,” Schaffer told ESPN. “This has to stop.”
