October 8, 2025 – Seattle, WA
The NFL has officially suspended referee Craig Wrolstad and his entire officiating crew following the explosive fallout from Sunday’s Seattle Seahawks vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers matchup — a 38–35 thriller marred by a string of controversial calls that fans say “handed the game” to Tampa Bay.
According to official NFL.com and ESPN data, the suspended crew — known as Crew 12 for the 2025 season — consisted of:
Referee: Craig Wrolstad (#4) – Lead referee, responsible for major penalties such as pass interference and roughing the passer. Known for high penalty frequency (13.5 penalties/game in 2024).
Umpire: Brandon Cruse (#45) – Oversaw the line of scrimmage, false starts, and holding infractions.
Down Judge: Danny Short (#113) – Marked downfield yardage and sideline progress.
Line Judge: Brett Bergman (#91) – Responsible for out-of-bounds and boundary plays.
Field Judge: Jeff Shears (#108) – Monitored coverage plays and pass interference calls.
Back Judge: Rich Martinez (#39) – Focused on deep coverage and signaling calls.
The decision came after widespread outrage over inconsistent officiating in critical moments, which many believe tilted momentum toward the Buccaneers’ comeback. The crew has been accused of enforcing rules unevenly and issuing “late, selective, and phantom calls” in the second half.
🔥 Controversial Moments Leading to the Suspension
1️⃣ Illegal Man Downfield (2nd Half, 3rd & 12 – Seahawks Drive)The Seahawks were flagged for illegal man downfield on a shovel pass to Kenneth Walker — wiping out a first down and forcing a punt. Moments later, Tampa Bay executed a similar play, but the flag was picked up after brief discussion, allowing their drive to continue. That drive ended in a touchdown by Rachaad White.
Fans on X called it “ridiculous inconsistency,” arguing that the call was selectively enforced against Seattle.
2️⃣ Phantom Defensive Holding (4th Quarter – Bucs Comeback Drive)On 3rd down deep in Buccaneers territory, officials threw a late flag for defensive holding on Seahawks cornerback Nehemiah Pritchett, gifting Tampa Bay a first down that led to Baker Mayfield’s 11-yard touchdown pass to Sterling Shepard.
Replays showed minimal contact, with analysts calling it “incidental at best.” PFF later graded the call as “incorrect.”
3️⃣ Late-Game Holding Calls (Final Minutes)As the game tightened, the Seahawks were penalized four times in the final quarter compared to Tampa’s one — including a questionable holding call after a tipped pass
and a weak illegal contact flag during Sam Darnold’s final drive. The penalties set up a deflected interception and the game-winning 39-yard field goal by Chase McLaughlin as time expired.
“Refs controlled the second half,” one viral post read. “That wasn’t football — that was theater.”
The Wrolstad crew, which had officiated four of Seattle’s last five games, already had a reputation for overcalling offensive holding and inconsistent man-downfield enforcement. The Seahawks were 2–2 under Wrolstad’s crew entering Week 5.
NFL Senior VP of Officiating Walt Anderson released a statement Monday night confirming the disciplinary action:
“The league expects consistency, accuracy, and fairness from all officiating crews. After a thorough review of the Seahawks–Buccaneers game, the NFL determined that multiple officiating decisions failed to meet our professional standards.”
The entire crew will be removed from active assignments indefinitely, pending further internal evaluation.
For Seahawks fans — and even some Buccaneers supporters — the suspension serves as long-overdue validation after what many called “one of the worst-officiated games of the season.”
The debate over NFL officiating integrity continues, but one thing is clear: the fallout from Seahawks–Buccaneers has shaken confidence in the league’s officiating more than any game this year.
