Chris Graythen/Getty Images

Roger Goodell Sparks Controversy With Comment On NFL Officiating

Originally posted on The Spun | By Tzvi Machlin | Last updated Feb 3, 2026 11:31 AM ET

By far the biggest gripe that NFL fans have with the NFL itself is the officiating. There have been complaints about the calls on the field all year and for the better part of a decade if we're being honest.

But if you ask NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell about the officiating, you may get a different reaction.

Speaking to the media on Monday, Goodell proudly stated that he's happy with the state of NFL officiating. He said that one of the goals right now is to use AI to help officials and avoid "obvious errors" on the field.

"I'm amazed at how good our officials are," Goodell said, via NFL insider Ian Rapoport.

"Should they be able to throw a flag?"

Goodell on the NYC's replay command center. https://t.co/BWnzvBeCwK
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) February 2, 2026

Controversy Abound

NFL fans saw two-fold problems with the statements by Goodell on officiating. The first, and perhaps biggest, is his assessment of the officials. The others is his interest in AI, which has become a hugely divisive topic across the country.

"Does Roger even watch the games? Refs were horrible this year," one user wrote on X.

"Every commissioner says the refs are doing great until a blown call trends for 48 hours. But fans don’t care about praise, they just want the obvious misses gone. If tech helps fix that, nobody’s mad at it," another remarked.

"It seems no one is happy with the way the game is officiated. To me, the answer lies in moving one direction or another: either go back to no replay at all and let the calls, good or bad, stand ... or implement the "sky judge" to review personal fouls called and uncalled," a third wrote.