Xavier McKinney did not hold back after the Green Bay Packers' Sunday loss to the Detroit Lions in Detroit, using his postgame locker room media session to rip the officiating and fuel Green Bay Packers officiating complaints after a game filled with frustration.
McKinney said he was not a fan of the referees right now and made it clear he did not think the crew did a good job. He added that he believed there were calls during the game that did not make sense and called the situation “bulls–t” in a one-minute rant after the game.
The Packers' anger appeared to peak in the third quarter, when Amon-Ra St. Brown was involved in a disputed sequence that ended with Terry Killens Jr. throwing a flag. McKinney said the play was confusing because the Packers tried to get St. Brown down, then a Detroit player hit the referee and the official fell to the ground before throwing the flag.
“He don't even know who hit him,” McKinney said of the call sequence. “So it's just like, it just be bulls–t that's going on, bulls–t calls.”
What the NFL could do next
The league does not allow public criticism of officials, and it can fine or suspend players or club employees for those comments. Based on that policy, McKinney should expect to be fined for what he said after Sunday’s game.
The outburst also comes at a time when NFL officiating had gone a couple of weeks without major controversy, making the Packers' complaints stand out even more. For Green Bay, the immediate issue is the result on the field. The next question is whether McKinney’s comments lead to league discipline.
