Injury Diagnosis Announced For NFL Ref Carted Off During Bills vs. Texans

Getty

Injury Diagnosis Announced For NFL Ref Carted Off During Bills vs. Texans

Originally posted on The Spun | By Tzvi Machlin | Last updated Nov 21, 2025 4:59 PM ET

There was some drama involving the NFL officials in last night's Bills-Texans game as veteran referee Adrian Hill came up limping with a non-contact injury.

Referee Adrian Hill, who has been in the league since 2010 and was promoted to referee in 2019, suffered an apparent leg injury and had to be carted off the field in the middle of the game. Roy Ellison replaced him for the remainder of the game.

On Friday, NFL insider Tom Pelissero reported that Hill "may miss some time" but did not sustain a major injury. His Achilles, which many feared had been torn or ruptured, is still intact.

"Referee Adrian Hill, who left Thursday night's game, is believed to have avoided a major injury and his Achilles is intact, sources close to Hill tell the insiders. An accomplished aerospace engineer and an NFL official since 2010, Hill may miss some time. But a return this season has not been ruled out," Pelissero wrote.

Referee Adrian Hill, who left Thursday night's game, is believed to have avoided a major injury and his Achilles is intact, sources close to Hill tell the insiders.

An accomplished aerospace engineer and an NFL official since 2010, Hill may miss some time. But a return this… pic.twitter.com/qeeAgiyWiy
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) November 21, 2025

Hill in the NFL

Like most NFL officials, Adrian Hill had a very different career before going into football. He got his degrees in electrical engineering and computer science, which he parlayed into a job as a contractor at NASA in the 1990s. Hill worked on numerous flight software development programs and even led the development of the Hubble Space Telescope's flight software.

Hill even won awards for his contributions to American aeronautics.

NFL refs on field.Icon Sportswire/Getty Images

Hill started working as a football referee long before his NASA career, often working for just $13 a game. In 2004, he got his first taste of college football working for the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference, eventually moving to Conference USA and the now-defunct NFL Europe before the NFL's main branch gave him a shot.

We wish Hill the best as he recovers from his injury.

This article first appeared on The Spun and was syndicated with permission.

More must-reads: