‘Work in progress’: NFL’s Roger Goodell, Troy Vincent address officiating complaints

IRVING, Texas — The NFL is hearing the widespread complaints about its referees and is trying to do something about it.

But he won't apologize for the correct calls, Commissioner Roger Goodell said Wednesday at NFL owners' meetings.

Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes and head coach Andy Reid were the latest stars to speak out on officiating after wide receiver Kadarius Toney was flagged for offensive offside to negate a late touchdown play and brilliant between Travis Kelce and Toney. Toney's foot was clearly in the neutral zone.

“I think almost everyone agreed that those responsible were absolutely right,” Goodell said. “It’s their job to call this a mistake…I think it shows how difficult it is to do their job.”

Vice president of football operations Troy Vincent said, “We have to act responsibly” when calls are missed because “we want the game to be played on the field.”

The NFL has a weekly internal scoring system for each team and has attempted to keep the same teams together consistently this season.

“We're always looking to improve the officiating. It's a constant work in progress,” Vincent said. “We're not perfect. The concern is to make sure we improve.”

The team penalty total for each game, which includes disallowed penalties, is 7.2 this season, up from 6.6 last year and the highest since 2019 (8.1). Several star players began to publicly question the consistency of the officiating. That criticism reached the broadcast booth, where “Monday Night Football” game analyst Troy Aikman criticized Monday night's Packers-Giants team for taking too long to figure out a play.

“We understand [criticism]. This is nothing new,” Goodell said. “You understand. It's frustrating. We know how hard the players play… We know how invested the fans are in it.”

Although the league knows it can't properly respond to every call, Goodell said, officials “are certainly going to go out of their way to [get close]”.

The NFL discussed several officiating issues this week in Dallas, but no changes will be made until the competition committee formally addresses them in March.

• Owners have discussed the pushing game made famous by the Philadelphia Eagles, but right now there isn't much momentum to change that. The sample size of the game is too small to conclude an increased risk of injury. “Philly does it better than everyone, that’s a fact,” Vincent said. “You don’t want to punish anyone for doing something well.”

• The NFL considers hip tackling a “horrible play,” according to Vincent, but it won't ban rush plays or tackles from behind. The main concern is the grab-rotate-drop tactic which increases the injury rate. NFL research shows the hip tackle carries 20 to 25 times more risk of injury than a traditional tackle, according to vice president of health and safety Jeff Miller. And the trend seems to be growing. Goodell said of the hip tackle: “I think we should work to get that out of the game.”

• Vincent called the year-long touchback experiment a “dead game” and a “ceremonial game” that reduces injuries but is not a long-term solution. The league asked the competition committee to explore alternatives. “What we can’t do is stay where we are,” Vincent said.

• The NFL discusses the merits of a fumble in the end zone resulting in a touchback for the defense. Packers president Mark Murphy called the rule “too punitive.” Changes to the current rule could come this offseason.