All Bengals

Referee Report: Bengals Will Get One of NFL's Least Experienced Refs for Home Opener vs. Jaguars

Jay Morrison

Nov 21, 2021; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Side judge Alan Eck (76) takes the field before the game between the Dallas Cowboys and Kansas City Chiefs at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-Imagn Images
Nov 21, 2021; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Side judge Alan Eck (76) takes the field before the game between the Dallas Cowboys and Kansas City Chiefs at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-Imagn Images / Denny Medley-Imagn Images
In this story:

CINCINNATI – One of the newest referees in the NFL will be on the call for the Cincinnati Bengals’ home opener against the Jacksonville Jaguars on Sunday.

Alan Eck became an NFL official in 2016 and was promoted to head referee in 2023.

He’s only worked one game since becoming a head referee, and that was the 2023 season finale against the Cleveland Browns, which the Bengals won 31-14.

Eck’s crew flagged Cincinnati once for 10 yards in the game. Cleveland had seven penalties for 35 yards.

Last year, Eck’s crew ranked 13th out of 17 in flags thrown per game with 11.63.

In his rookie season of 2023, Eck’s crew ranked 16th of 17 with 10.4 per game.

Eck’s Week 1 assignment was the Monday night game between the Minnesota Vikings and Chicago Bears.

The game featured 20 penalties for 177 yards, with the host Bears drawing 12 for 127 while the Vikings had eight for 50.

While Eck has yet to draw a postseason assignment as a lead referee, he was an umpire on John Hussey’s crew for the wild 2021 Divisional Round game between the Buffalo Bills and Kansas City Chiefs.

The 42-36 Kansas City win that sent the Chiefs to the AFC Championship Game, where they would fall to the Bengals, which featured just four total flags for 25 yards.

For more on the Bengals, subscribe to our YouTube Channel.

Make sure you bookmark BengalsTalk.com for the latest Bengals news, exclusive interviews, film breakdowns and so much more!

-----

Join the 50,000+ Bengals fans that subscribe to us on YouTube.

Follow us on Twitter: @BengalsTalkSI

Like Our Facebook Page

Follow on TikTok

feed

Published
Jay Morrison
JAY MORRISON

Jay Morrison covers the Cincinnati Bengals for Bengals On SI. He has been writing about the NFL for nearly three decades. Combining a passion for stats and storytelling, Jay takes readers beyond the field for a unique look at the game and the people who play it. Prior to joining Bengals on SI, Jay covered the Cincinnati Bengals beat for The Athletic, the Dayton Daily News and Pro Football Network.