NFL Official Caught Using Profanity Toward Cardinals Star Trey McBride in Moment Going Viral

Star Trey McBride had quite the interaction with an official during Week 4.

Sep 27, 2026; Santa Clara, California, USA; Arizona Cardinals tight end Trey McBride (85) during halftime against the San Francisco 49ers at Levi's Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

ARIZONA — It's not every day you see an NFL official going viral, especially for use of foul language.

Late in the Cardinals' comeback attempt against the Giants in Week 4, Trey McBride had some early contact from a Giants defender on a third-down pass attempt that wasn't called, prompting Arizona to bring on the punt team for fourth down.

McBride exchanged some words with the official nearest to him, and the tail end of their interaction was caught by CBS' broadcast cameras. The official, while we're not professional lip-readers, used some words that aren't quite safe for work.

"This kind of behavior from an official towards a player is unacceptable. Players are consistently held accountable when the roles are reversed. We expect the NFL to hold officials to the same standard," said NFLPA executive director JC Tretter.

Adam Schefter later added the NFL, "The NFL said it is reviewing the situation in which an official appears to use profanity at Cardinals TE Trey McBride."

Reaction from the Executive Director of the NFLPA: https://t.co/AjXj6zyxAq

— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) October 4, 2026

Towards the end of the video you can see McBride point towards the camera, likely knowing the interaction was caught from cameras.

McBride had a relatively quiet day, catching just seven passes for 31 yards, far below the typically eye-popping numbers most have come to expect from the star tight end.

According to the league's official site, a first-time verbal offense against an official results in a fine over $33,500 while a second-time fine is just north of $67,000.

No information is available on anything regarding discipline towards officials for the same messaging.

Physical contact with an official results in a $41,907 fine for a first infraction.

The NFL will review the matter with strong evidence of what the official used against McBride.

How exactly the individual in question could be punished remains to be seen, as Arizona typically uses internal evaluations for their crews on a weekly basis.

There's been two prior instances where an official has been fined for confronting a player during a game.

Roy Ellison was fined one game check for an interactio with Jerry Hughes back in 2018 and previously was suspended for one game in 2013 after using profanity towards Trent Williams.