Above all, NFL officials are supposed to be impartial and show no discernible emotion when doing their job. Jeff Seeman, the side judge who swore at Arizona Cardinals star tight end Trey McBride on Sunday, clearly failed at this aspect of his job.
With the incident captured on camera, it's already not sitting well with one of the people who could theoretically force Seeman to face some accountability. I'm talking, of course, about NFL Players Association (NFLPA) executive director J.C. Tretter, who saw the video posted on X and wasted no time vehemently condemning the profane outburst at McBride.
In an X post that almost sounded like a formal statement, Tretter called the incident "unacceptable."
This kind of behavior from an official towards a player
is unacceptable. Players are consistently held accountable when the roles are reversed. We expect the NFL to hold officials to the same standard. pic.twitter.com/vawHA8Jrlt
— JC Tretter (@JCTretter) October 4, 2026
Tretter's overarching point about mutual respect is important. While it's unclear what McBride argued with Seeman about, it does not appear that he crossed any lines in the interaction. Seeman clearly did so and was not punished in the game for his actions, whereas McBride certainly would have been if the roles were reversed. Respect between players and referees is a two-way street, and Seeman violated that general principle.
We'll see whether the NFL disciplines Seeman in any meaningful way in the coming days, once it completes a formal review of the situation.
This article originally appeared on For The Win: NFLPA director vehemently condemned NFL official who swore at Trey McBride
