It turns out the Detroit Lions’ Week 10 victory over the Washington Commanders might have included a moment the NFL’s officiating crew would probably like to forget. According to a new report, officials made a conscious decision not to enforce a rule that should’ve led to an ejection, a move that’s drawing plenty of backlash from around the league.
What Happened in Washington
During the Lions’ 44-22 win, things got heated between the Commanders’ defense and the officiating crew. Washington defensive tackle Javon Kinlaw was flagged for making contact with an official following a two-point conversion attempt. Normally, that kind of contact leads to an automatic ejection.
But that’s not what happened.
🚨🚨THIS IS INSANE🚨🚨#COMMANDERS DT JAVON KINLAW JUST PUNCHED A REF ON PURPOSE.
— MLFootball (@MLFootball) November 9, 2025
😳😳😳
WASHINGTON IS A COMPLETE DISASTER. THIS IS DISGUSTING.
pic.twitter.com/owQ5a8PAQt
According to ProFootballTalk, “After the very next play, a two-point conversion attempt after a Detroit touchdown, Kinlaw made contact with umpire Brandon Cruse. Kinlaw was flagged but not kicked out of the game. Per a source with knowledge of the situation, the officials did not want to eject a player on consecutive plays.”
If that sounds strange, it’s because it is. One of Kinlaw’s teammates had already been ejected on the previous play, and apparently the officials didn’t want to “double up” on discipline.
The problem? That’s not how the rulebook works.
The Rule Is Clear — And Officials Ignored It
Making physical contact with an official is one of the few zero-tolerance rules in the NFL. There’s no gray area, it’s supposed to be an immediate ejection.
As ProFootballTalk bluntly put it, “Of course, that shouldn’t matter. If a player does something for which he should be ejected, he should be ejected. The fact that someone else was properly ejected one play earlier is irrelevant.”
The inconsistency didn’t go unnoticed. Fans and analysts immediately took to social media asking the obvious question:
“So anything goes the next play after a player is ejected?”
When the league’s own rules are selectively enforced, it raises questions about consistency and credibility, something officials have been under fire for all season.
The Fallout: Fine Likely, Suspension Unlikely
At this point, Kinlaw isn’t expected to be suspended, but a fine is almost certain to follow. The play happened in a blowout loss to Dan Campbell’s Lions, but the bigger issue is about precedent.
When referees choose not to apply the rules as written, it sends a message, and not a good one. The NFL has worked for years to clean up on-field conduct and protect its officials, but decisions like this make those efforts look selective.
The Lions, meanwhile, won’t lose any sleep over it. Detroit’s offense looked sharp, the defense forced turnovers, and Dan Campbell’s group handled business in a game they needed to win.
Still, the controversy serves as another reminder that even in decisive wins, the storylines around officiating never seem to go away.
The Bottom Line
By the letter of the law, Javon Kinlaw should’ve been ejected. The fact that he wasn’t, because another teammate had already been tossed, doesn’t sit well with anyone who values consistency in officiating.
The NFL won’t revisit the decision now that the game’s over, but don’t be surprised if this becomes another example of the league’s ongoing struggle to balance enforcement, discretion, and optics.
