Eric Wilson, Referee Dustup in Minnesota Sparks Criticism

Icon Sportswire / Getty Images

Eric Wilson, Referee Dustup in Minnesota Sparks Criticism

Originally posted on Lindy's Sports | By Adam Martin | Last updated Oct 5, 2026 12:36 PM ET

The Minnesota Vikings defeated the Miami Dolphins 15-10 on Sunday, October 4, at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis, but everyone is talking about the refs—and that’s a big problem.

During a first-quarter play, linebacker Eric Wilson accidentally knocked referee Adrian Hill into the turf after being shoved into the official by Dolphins running back Ollie Gordon II.

Wilson immediately put his hand out to help the referee up, but the official was having none of it, as he jumped to his feet and then yelled at Wilson, pointing at him and making everything a massive deal out of the incident for no reason.

Players are not supposed to touch the officials, obviously, but this was a complete accident, and the referee acted like a baby about it, making everything about him.

That’s a big problem.

Referee Adrian Hill acted like a big baby in the Vikings vs. Dolphins games.Icon Sportswire / Getty Images

NFL Reviewing Incident

According to ESPN, the NFL will be reviewing the incident between Wilson and Hill.

Wilson himself didn’t think it was that big of a deal, explaining that the referee just didn’t want the two players involved in the situation to fight, even though it made for terrible optics on television.

“That was funny, honestly. I ended up apologizing to him and explained the situation. He was cool about it. He understood what was going on. He just said he didn’t want us fighting, me and (Gordon). He said he was just trying to break us up,” Wilson said.

While Wilson is taking the high road here, which is good to see, it doesn’t change the fact that this official is completely overrated and should be held accountable for his actions, as he had no right to yell and scream at a player for accidentally making contact with them.

If anything, the referee should be the one apologizing for getting in their way.

But no, these referees have massive egos, and they will never apologize even when they are in the wrong.

This article first appeared on Lindy's Sports and was syndicated with permission.

More must-reads: