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Aaron Rodgers was criticized in December 2022 for some comments he made about NFL referees. He explained that he believes part of the problem with the inconsistencies in how they call NFL games and their seemingly constant errors is due to them being part-time league employees. The referees are represented by a separate labor union and are not full-time NFL employees.
While his opinion was called into serious question at the time, Aaron Rodgers' criticism of NFL referees looks much more valid following the AFC Championship game this past weekend between the Kansas City Chiefs and Cincinnati Bengals. The officiating crew for the game made several shocking calls that may have directly impacted the outcome of the game.
Here's what Aaron Rodgers had to say about the state of officiating and his take on them being part-timers with the NFL. He did so during an episode of the "Pat McAfee Show" about a month ago.
"Think about back in 2012. They had a chance to [fix it] after we had that absolute fiasco with the replacement refs. They had a chance to fix all that. You know, I think it comes down to the one thing that runs the whole league, right? That almighty dollar."
Aaron Rodgers seems to imply that if the NFL were to pay the referees a better salary, then maybe they would be more competent and consistent with the way games are called. He admitted his frustrations with controversial calls sometimes determining the outcome of games.
Aaron Rodgers' frustrations with refs was validated during the 2022 AFC Championship game
Aaron Rodgers didn't participate in the 2022 AFC Championship game, but his previous comments about officiating flaws were on display. The referees made several questionable calls during the game, most of which seemed to favor the Kansas City Chiefs heavily. The fourth quarter was particularly controversial.
Cincinnati Bengals cornerback Eli Apple was flagged for defensive holding on a critical third-down play, which seemed inconsistent with the way the referees were officiating pass coverage all game long. Joe Burrow was also flagged for a strange intentional grounding call late in the game, though running back Samaje Perine's proximity to the ball made the penalty seem incorrect.
On the Chiefs' final offensive play of the game prior to their game-winning field goal, Patrick Mahomes was slightly shoved while going out of bounds, resulting in a 15-yard personal foul on the Bengals. Perhaps the most controversial was when the referees allowed the Chiefs a second chance after a failed third-down conversion attempt after claiming they whistled the play dead before it started.
All of these examples contributed to the Chiefs' eventual victory. The officiating crew wasn't the only reason they won the game, but they surely had an impact on the way it all played out. This is the type of situation that Aaron Rodgers was being vocal about. His frustrations centered around the outcome of games being altered by referees, and this game is an example of his stance.
