In Week 9, the Minnesota Vikings shocked everyone by upsetting the Detroit Lions. Nevertheless, a Super Bowl champion believes the Vikings almost didn’t win due to the referees’ favoritism toward Jared Goff’s team.
The NFC North rivalry between the Vikings and Lions is intense. Fortunately for Minnesota — and against all odds — they managed to defeat Detroit on the road, but it was far from an easy victory.
Isaiah Rodgers, a Super Bowl champion with the Philadelphia Eagles, had a tough offense to face. Now, he claims that the referees favored the Lions — a statement the league may not be very pleased with.
Isaiah Rodgers throws bold shade at referees over alleged favoritism for Lions
Isaiah Rodgers joined the Vikings this year as a free agent. He won Super Bowl LIX with the Eagles, so his move to Minnesota surprised many.
He has quickly become one of the Vikings’ best cornerbacks. However, his matchup against the Lions wasn’t an easy one given the talented wide receivers Jared Goff has at his disposal.
Despite the 27-24 victory on the road, Rodgers wasn’t happy with the referees’ performance in Week 9. After the game, the cornerback threw major shade at them — comments that could get the Vikings in trouble with the league.
On TikTok, Rodgers uploaded a video showing a play where he covered Jameson Williams. The wide receiver appeared to push him before making the catch, yet no offensive pass interference was called.
“Can we start giving refs fines too?” Rodgers wrote in the caption. “Great team win, but at what point will we stop allowing bull**** calls by these refs?”
An inevitable fine
While the NFL allows players to express their opinions, directly criticizing referees and the league as Rodgers did is strictly against policy.
Isaiah Rodgers is expected to be fined for his comments, but his callout could also put the Vikings in a difficult position. Officials may interpret his remarks as an attempt to pressure them — and that could lead to tighter officiating on Minnesota in upcoming games.