NFL fans have spent much of the 2026 season complaining about the number of flags being thrown, and the numbers back them up. Penalties are up across the league, and plenty of people around the sport have started pointing the finger at the officials.
But NFL commissioner Roger Goodell isn’t buying it. Asked about the penalty increase, Goodell said that the number of flags is not a fair way to judge the league’s officials, arguing that the players, not the referees, are the ones committing the fouls.
Flags Everywhere
The league is on a historic pace for penalties this season. Through the first four weeks, there were 963 accepted penalties, the most through four weeks since 1978, and 17 touchdowns had already been wiped out by flags.
Offensive holding and false starts have both spiked, and the Green Bay Packers have been averaging 10.5 penalties per game. ESPN’s Scott Van Pelt even said that officials have become “far too involved” in games.
Not everyone agrees that the officials are to blame, though. According to Mark Maske of Front Office Sports, total penalties called, not just accepted ones, have actually dipped slightly from last season, while dead-ball fouls like false starts are up. One source familiar with league rule-making pointed to “sloppy play” as the cause.
‘Inappropriate Way To Approach It’
While penalties have seemingly been surging, Goodell defended the officials a bit during a recent press conference.
“Number of fouls can’t be an evaluation of officiating, necessarily,” Goodell said, via Pro Football Talk. “Because we don’t commit the fouls, right? The officials are there to call the fouls, when they exist. So I think when you evaluate officiating, you don’t just look at total number of fouls. I think that’s an inappropriate way to approach it.”
Goodell said that officials are evaluated on whether they get the calls right, and he believes that officiating has actually improved.
“I think the changes made to our officiating, not just with collective bargaining, but in the offseason with personnel, the processes we have on replay, including replay assist, have all been beneficial and have been very positive things. But we continue that effort. We’re always going to continue that effort,” Goodell said.
The commissioner also addressed the league’s decision to suspend line judge Jeff Seeman for two games and referee Adrian Hill for one game after Week 4 for their conduct toward players.
“Absolutely, we do want accountability for our officials,” Goodell said. “But we also want respect between the participants. Not just player to player, but officials play an important role out there, and they need to be held to the highest standards.”
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