“These officials are trash & bias": Houston running back Joe Mixon thrashed the NFL after being fined $25,000 for comments made following the Chiefs-Texans game

Joe Mixon, the running back for the Houston Texans, was fined $25,000 by the NFL for comments he made regarding officiating following the Texans' 23-14 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs in the AFC Divisional Round. Initially, the NFL misattributed the comments to Mixon, citing a quote that was actually made by former NFL wide receiver T.J. Houshmandzadeh.

In a postgame interview following the Houston Texans' 23-14 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs in the AFC Divisional Round, Mixon was asked about the officiating after the Texans' defense was penalized twice for contacting Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes. Both of these penalties extended Kansas City's drives, resulting in a critical 10 points that played a key role in the Chiefs' victory.

"Everybody knows how it is playing up here. You can never leave it into the refs' hands," Mixon said. "The whole world sees, man, what it is. When it comes down to it, you can never leave it into the refs' hands. It's all good, though."
Former Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver T.J. Houshmandzadeh showed agreement with Mixon, writing, "Why play the game if every 50/50 call goes with the Chiefs. These officials are trash & bias."
Joe Mixon was fined $25,000 by the NFL for comments about officiating in the Texans' 23-14 loss to the Chiefs. The fine was originally based on a misattributed quote from T.J. Houshmandzadeh, which Sports Illustrated later corrected. After Mixon contested the fine, the NFL acknowledged that the fine was actually for Mixon’s own comments on the officiating. Mixon’s agent, Peter Schaffer, confirmed plans to appeal the fine and pursue legal action.
"We will defend Joe and have appealed the fine and will explore all other legal avenues to rectify this situation," Schaffer said. "This has to stop."

Mixon reacted to the fine on Twitter, calling it a "cold world" and criticizing the NFL's handling of the situation. "So let me get this straight NFL fines me 25k for something I didn't even say," Mixon said. "Call them out for it, and their response was fine me AGAIN for something that's not even a violation without even rescinding the first one. Where's the accountability? Just respect the players."
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Mixon expressed his dissatisfaction with the situation, especially over the initial misattribution of the quote, and has since called out the NFL for not rescinding the first fine. His agent, Peter Schaffer, has indicated plans to appeal the fine and pursue potential legal options to resolve the issue.