Denver Broncos cornerback Patrick Surtain II has sparked a conversation about potential racial bias in NFL officiating by playfully suggesting that teammate Riley Moss, a white cornerback, is being subject to racial profiling due to repeated pass interference penalties. Moss, one of the few white cornerbacks in the NFL, has been flagged for defensive pass interference more than any other player in the league this season, prompting Surtain’s comments during a recent podcast episode.
Surtain, who is the reigning Defensive Player of the Year, humorously pointed out that Moss’s race might be a factor in the calls, despite the player’s evident skill. During the podcast, he recounted a specific incident from the Broncos’ 44-34 win over the Dallas Cowboys, where he felt Moss was unjustly flagged for a pass interference penalty. ‘You don’t understand, bro. He had a rep against CeeDee (Lamb). They ran (a fade route), he was in perfect position, played the ball, played his hands. They called a flag on my dog. I’m like, “I don’t know what it is. What they got against him?”’ Surtain said.
The issue has sparked broader discussions about potential bias in sports officiating, as Moss’s teammate, Detroit Lions cornerback Terrion Arnold, asked if Surtain thought Moss was being profiled. Surtain responded, ‘It gotta be, bruh. I don’t know what it is.’ Moss has been flagged for defensive pass interference seven times in eight games this season, with the penalty declined twice and accepted five times, according to nflpenalties.com.
Moss, 25, is in his third season in the NFL and will be asked to face the opposition’s best wide receivers over the next few weeks after Surtain strained a pectoral muscle. Surtain is expected to miss a few weeks, leaving Moss to step up for the 6-2 Broncos through eight games this season. Moss has nine defended passes and 38 combined tackles for the team.
Fox News Digital reached out to the Broncos, the NFL, and the NFL referees association for comment on Surtain’s theory, though no official responses have been released yet.