NFL Suspends Entire Officiating Crew Led by Tra Blake After Controversial Finish in Chiefs-Jaguars Game

NFL Suspends Entire Officiating Crew Led by Tra Blake After Controversial Finish in Chiefs-Jaguars Game.
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — October 8, 2025
The NFL has taken decisive action, suspending referee Tra Blake and his entire officiating crew following the highly controversial conclusion of the Kansas City Chiefs’ 31-28 victory over the Jacksonville Jaguars on October 6, 2025, during Monday Night Football at EverBank Stadium. The move comes amid widespread outrage over questionable calls that shaped the game’s outcome, leaving Chiefs Kingdom and Jaguars fans alike demanding accountability.

According to league sources and Football Zebras, the suspended crew includes:

Referee: Tra Blake (#26)

Umpire: Bryan Neale (#92)

Down Judge: Patrick Holt (#23)

Line Judge: Mark Steinkerchner (#64)

Field Judge: Brad Rogers (#128)

Side Judge: Eugene Hall (#99)

Back Judge: Greg Steed (#12)

Replay Official: Dan South

The suspension stems from mounting scrutiny over critical officiating errors, notably in the first quarter and late fourth quarter. Early in the game, a potential offensive pass interference (OPI) flag on JuJu Smith-Schuster was thrown during a two-yard touchdown pass from Patrick Mahomes to Travis Kelce. After Mahomes engaged the officials, the flag was picked up, a decision that drew immediate backlash on X with posts like, “Mahomes crying to the refs to pick up the flag and they do,” and “And the refs pick up the flag against KC again. What a joke.”

Mahomes to Kelce for the TD!

KCvsJAX on ESPN/ABC
Stream on @NFLPlus and ESPN App pic.twitter.com/0AezqSsKHc

— NFL (@NFL) October 7, 2025

The controversy peaked late when an intentional grounding call on Mahomes was overturned, preserving a Chiefs drive, while a blatant pass interference on Kelce by Tyson Campbell went uncalled, denying the Jaguars a final scoring chance. Social media erupted, with #JaguarsRobbed trending at #1 with over 2 million posts.

NFL Senior VP of Officiating Walt Anderson confirmed, “We identified a series of critical officiating errors that failed to meet professional standards.” The suspension is immediate and indefinite, a rare move in NFL history for a full crew’s discipline post-game.

Chiefs head coach Andy Reid, frustrated by 13 penalties, said, “We had 13 penalties to their four... It’s the score that matters.” Jaguars fans feel robbed, but Chiefs Kingdom sees vindication. Stay tuned to Chiefs.com for updates!

Based on reports from NFL.com, ESPN, and social media reactions.