Legendary Referee to Call Steelers vs. Lions Game

PITTSBURGH -- The Pittsburgh Steelers have flung themselves completely back into the playoff race.

With the lead in the division, the Steelers now have a shot to be one of the teams that locks up their postseason berth in the near future. While they cannot clinch in Week 16, a win over the Detroit Lions would make their playoff picture significantly more solid.

Week 16 will see the Steelers head to Detroit to take on the Lions, and the game will be officiated by one of the most prolific referees in the history of the National Football League. Carl Cheffers will preside over the on-field proceedings at Ford Field, marking the first time he has worked a game involving the Steelers during the 2025 season.

Cheffers History in The NFL

Cheffers has one of the more impressive resumes when it comes to NFL referees, as he has been the referee for two Super Bowls, with Super Bowl LI between the New England Patriots and Atlanta Falcons as well as Super Bowl LV between the Kansas City Chiefs and Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He was also the alternate referee for Super Bowl XLIX between the Patriots and the Seattle Seahawks.

Cheffers crew is coming off of an extended break, as they were the crew that officiated the Week 15 Thursday Night Football game between the Atlanta Falcons and Tampa Bay Buccaneers. That game featured the most penalties of the week by a longshot, with 23 penalties called by Cheffers' crew. The next closest game was the Washington Commanders against the New York Giants, which accounted for 11 penalties from another notable name in refereeing, Bill Vinovich.

Dec 7, 2025; Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin looks on during the first half at M&T Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mitch Stringer-Imagn Images | Mitch Stringer-Imagn Images

Cheffers and the Pittsburgh Steelers

The last time Cheffers was involved in the game that had the Steelers on the field, it was the 2023 Wild Card Game, a game which the Steelers lost to the Buffalo Bills. Most notably to Steelers fans and media, Cheffers was the referee on hand for the controversial 2016 AFC Divisional Round game where the Steelers defeated the Chiefs on a controversial call on Chiefs lineman Eric Fisher.

Cheffers has been a referee in the NFL since 2008, and held the position of NFL line judge for eight years before his promotion to referee. Before his time in the NFL, Cheffers was a referee for college football, doing so in the Western Athletic Conference as well as the Pac-10 Conference.

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