The NFL fines Joe Mixon for comments he didn’t make about the referee, then fines him again for what he did.

The NFL has fined Houston Texans running back Joe Mixon for comments he never made about a referee during the team’s loss to the Kansas City Chiefs last Saturday.

After Mixon and his agent appealed the fine and publicly stated that Mixon did not say that, the NFL reissued the fine for the comments he made.

The original penalty said Mixon said, “Why is the game being played when the 50/50 call is always in favor of the Chiefs. These officials are trash and biased.”

That statement did not come from Mixon. Former NFL wide receiver TJ Houshmandzadeh wrote it in a social media post.

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Mixon then took to social media denying that he made the statement and expressing anger at the league’s fine.

The NFL later reissued the fine with his exact words on its site, which read “Everybody knows how it plays out here. You can’t leave it in the hands of the refs. The whole world is watching, man,” according to NBC Sports.

League rules prohibit public criticism of officials “because it calls into question the integrity of, and public trust in, our game.”

Officials have been heavily criticized by Texans players and head coach DeMeco Ryans, as well as many media commentators and fans on social media regarding two offensive penalties called against the Texans for hitting Patrick Mahomes last Saturday.

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Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes, #15, is hit during the NFL football AFC divisional playoff game against the Houston Texans at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium on Jan. 18, 2025 in Kansas City, Missouri. (Perry Knotts/Getty Images)

The first penalty came when Houston shortstop Will Anderson Jr. called for roughing the passer on third down in the first quarter. Anderson was seen shoving Mahomes in the chest after he threw an incomplete pass to Travis Kelce. Anderson is flagged.

The second penalty came when Mahomes was fouled in the third quarter. He had two run blockers and three linebackers coming at him. He went from right to left when he decided to slip.

Head referee Clay Martin explained to a pool reporter after the game, that one of the controversial calls was the result of “forced contact in the facemask area,” which warranted a flag. He said there was forced contact with Mahomes’ “hairline” through another unnecessary phone call.

Mahomes himself defended the referees from these calls when he was asked by reporters on Wednesday if he believed the referees were treating him well.

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Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes, #15, tackles Azeez Al-Shaair, #0 of the Houston Texans, in the first quarter of the AFC Divisional Playoff at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium on Jan. 18, 2025 in Kansas City, Missouri. (Jamie Squire/Getty Images)

“I don’t feel that way,” Mahomes replied. “At the end of the day, the referees are doing their best to call the game as fair and as fair as possible. And what you can do is go out there and play the game you love so hard and live with the consequences. … I think that’s what we preach here in Kansas City.

“You get new referees every year, you get new situations, and you can’t really tell because every game is different. And that’s what makes the NFL so special. I feel like I just ran the game, and I’m just trying to win and whatever happens.”

Meanwhile, Kelce refused to talk about the issue when asked about it by his brother, Jason Kelce, during their “New Heights” podcast on Wednesday.

“I would like to plead the fifth,” said the deadline, jokingly citing his constitutional right to remain silent.

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