Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow. Sam Greene/The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Joe Burrow defends officials on pair of controversial calls

By Ernesto Cova | Last updated Jan 20, 2026 10:06 AM ET

The NFL playoffs are in full swing, and while most games have been instant classics, the referees have also been a talking point.

That's never good news, but it has become the norm in the league for the past half-decade or so. Sometimes, it's not the calls themselves but the lack of consistency.

That was the case again in the Divisional Round weekend. The Broncos were awarded an interception against the Bills on a play that was pretty similar to one where Davante Adams was awarded a catch in the Rams-Bears game.

Unsurprisingly, the fans flooded social media to complain about the officials. That's why Joe Burrow had to set the record straight once and for all, even if his opinion rubbed some people the wrong way.

Joe Burrow defends the refs after controversial calls

Burrow took to social media to clear up the confusion.

The amount of ppl that don’t understand what a catch is in the rule book flabbergasts me. And it’s not the officials. The two plays yesterday were not difficult calls, and they got them both right.
— Joey Burrow (@JoeyB) January 19, 2026

This was Burrow's first post on X since 2024, so he clearly felt the need to clear the air on this situation.

Not many people will pick up a fight with one of the best quarterbacks in the game about what's a catch and what isn't. Then again, that's not how social media works.

Some accused him of trying to get on the refs' good side and finally get some superstar whistle, while others agreed with his assessment.

At the end of the day, teams shouldn't put themselves in a position where the game is decided by a controversial call/no-call.

Then again, the lack of consistency and accountability by the referees also hurts the credibility of the league to a degree.

Ernesto Cova

Ernesto is a bilingual (English-Spanish) sports writer with over eight years of experience covering major leagues such as the NBA, NFL, and MLB. Ernesto’s work focuses on providing insightful, up-to-date coverage of sports, blending his expertise in sports psychology with a passion for analyzing player performance, team dynamics, and trade developments across various sports leagues

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