Referee Report: Sunday's White Hat Led League in Offensive Holding Penalties in 2025

Bengals have .682 winning percentage with Sunday's referee

Cincinnati Bengals head coach Zac Taylor argues with referee Adrian Hill (29). And umpire Roy Ellison (81) in the third quarter during a Week 15 NFL game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Sunday, Dec. 18, 2022, at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Fla. The Cincinnati Bengals won, 34-23. The Cincinnati Bengals improved to 10-4 on the season. Nfl Cincinnati Bengals At Tampa Bay Buccaneers Dec 18 0070 | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

The Cincinnati Bengals’ third-longest referee drought will come to an end Sunday in Houston with Adrian Hill working the game.

The last time Hill worked a Bengals game was the 2025 season opener in Cleveland.

The only two referees owning longer spans without working a Cincinnati game are Shawn Smith (Week 4, 2023) and Shawn Hochuli (Week 13, 2024).

The Bengals are 7-4-1 with Hill as the referee.

One of the losses was the Thursday night game in Baltimore in 2023 when Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow suffered a season-ending wrist injury.

One of the most memorable Cincinnati wins with Hill working the game was the overtime thriller and walk-off winner against the Denver Broncos at Paycor in 2024.

Sunday's Bengals Referee Called 17 Penalties in Week 1

Aug 13, 2022; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; NFL referee Adrian Hill (29) makes a note during the game between the Seattle Seahawks and the Pittsburgh Steelers in the second quarter at Acrisure Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports | USA TODAY Sports

Hill’s assignment in Week 1 was the Super Bowl rematch between the New England Patriots and Seattle Seahawks. He and his crew threw 17 flags in the game for 148 yards.

In 2025, Hill and his crew threw the second most flags in the league, averaging 14.27 per game.

Hill’s group averaged 16.3 flags per game in 2024, which ranked fifth.

He’s averaged 12.91 flags in the 11 Bengals games he’s worked, with a high of 20 in the 2020 tie at Philadelphia and a low of seven in the 2019 finale against the Browns.

Hill’s crew led the league in offensive holding calls in 2025 with 3.2 per game.

Relevant to last week when the Bengals had four offsides penalties, Hill’s crew called the second fewest penalties for that violation in 2025 with only three all year.

Hill has been an NFL official since 2010 and was promoted to head referee in 2019.

He earned playoff assignments in 2022 and 2023, working Wild-Card rounds both seasons, but has not called a postseason game since.

Here is the full list of Bengals games Hill has worked as the head referee:

Week 12, 2019: Steelers 16, Bengals 10

Bengals seven penalties for 79 yards; Steelers 10-77

Week 17, 2019: Bengals 33, Browns 23

Bengals 3-20 yards; Browns 4-33

Week 3, 2020: Bengals 23, Eagles 23

Bengals 9-73; Eagles 11-93

Week 10, 2020: Steelers 36, Bengals 10

Bengals 6-65; Steelers 6-45

Week 1, 2021: Bengals 27, Vikings 24 (OT)

Bengals 3-15; Vikings 12-116

Week 15, 2021: Bengals 15, Broncos 10

Bengals 6-38; Broncos 6-60

Week 15, 2022: Bengals 34, Buccaneers 23

Bengals 4-27; Buccaneers 7-58

Week 6, 2023: Bengals 17, Seahawks 13

Bengals 5-43; Seahawks 7-64

Week 11, 2023: Ravens 34, Bengals 20

Bengals 9-78; Ravens 9-110

Week 4, 2024: Bengals 34, Panthers 24

Bengals 5-39; Panthers 6-37

Week 17, 2024: Bengals 30, Broncos 24 (OT)

Bengals 3-15; Broncos 7-35

Week 1, 2025: Bengals 17, Browns 16

Bengals 7-33; Browns 7-53

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