The United Nations might be the only place that has more flags than an NFL game in 2025.
Fans, players and coaches know the drill. Every big play, highlight reel moment and game-changing turnover come with the same default response – a visual scan of the field looking for a yellow flag. It has become something that announcers weave into their calls.
ESPN’s Joe Buck can often be heard saying, ‘No flags,’ or ‘I don’t see any flags,’ in those moments. On Monday night in Denver, it was Buck’s partner, Dallas Cowboys Hall of Fame quarterback Troy Aikman, that stole the headlines.
‘The product’s not very good,’ Aikman said after a flag in the third quarter. ‘I’m gonna be honest. It’s not very good. I mean, this is ridiculous.’
It was the 22nd penalty of the night and the 15th accepted during the Denver Broncos game against the Cincinnati Bengals contest on ‘Monday Night Football.’
There was still 7:10 left in the third quarter at the time.
Aikman’s frustration was spurred on by a penalty called on Denver’s Alex Palczewski. The offensive lineman was flagged for a blindside block moments before – a call that ESPN rules analyst Russell Yurk agreed with. Aikman, however, seemingly had enough.
‘I’m not gonna keep my mouth shut,’ Aikman said of the penalty after it was announced by referee Alex Moore. ‘That’s a good call. Just not a necessary call. No opportunity to try and make a play.
‘Nothing brings a broadcast to a screeching halt more than these yellow flags,’ Aikman continued after taking a break for a play – an assessment that Yurk also agreed with.
Football fans were treated to a ‘Monday Night Football’ doubleheader in Week 4, with the New York Jets and Miami Dolphins playing in the other game. The officiating crew, led by Craig Wrolstad, was also a topic of discussion in South Beach.
‘That’s gotta be a flag,’ ESPN’s Dan Orlovsky said following a late hit on the Jets’ Jeremy Ruckert in the fourth quarter. ‘I mean, you can’t miss this. That’s two tonight that are obvious against the Jets that they just haven’t thrown.’
Earlier in the contest, the Jets had a touchdown wiped off the board for a pass interference call against Garrett Wilson that has since drawn the ire of social media.
‘I watch football and they don’t call that, but I’ll make sure I don’t do it again and leave no doubt,’ Wilson told reporters after the game.
“I’m personally frustrated because I feel like me personally, us not winning, I watch football all the time and I just feel like, I don’t know if this is wrong to say, but I think I get called for more stuff just based off us just not winning,” Gardner said after the game. “I watch these winning programs and there’s some egregious things and it don’t get called, letting the players play. I got called on something today, and I’m just supposed to let him push off on the top of the route?”
Referees have always been a topic of discussion in the NFL, but it has become increasingly heated in recent years with rule changes and gambling taking centerstage.
It begs the question – have the number of flags per game actually increased or does it just feel like it?
Are NFL referees throwing more flags this season?
According to NFL Penalties, the 2025 regular season is seeing an average of 17.4 total flags per game with 1,116 – including offsetting and declined – in just 64 games.
It’s the highest total per game in the regular season since the site started tracking flags in 2009.
- 2025: 17.4
- 2024: 15.25
- 2023: 13.6
- 2022: 13.2
- 2021: 13.9
- 2020: 13.1
- 2019: 16.2
- 2018: 15.9
- 2017: 15.8
- 2016: 15.8
- 2015: 16.3
- 2014: 15.9
- 2013: 13.7
- 2012: 14.4
- 2011: 14.8
- 2010: 14.0
- 2009: 13.9