Kansas City Chiefs

Report: Referee Travis Kelce criticized will officiate Super Bowl

Updated Mar. 4, 2020 1:27 p.m. ET

Sports Illustrated, SI Wire/Sports Illustrated

Carl Cheffers, the referee Travis Kelce criticized after the Steelers-Chiefs game, will help officiate Super Bowl LI, reports Kevin Seifert of ESPN.

Cheffers has been an NFL official since 2000 and switched from side judge to referee in 2008. It will be his first Super Bowl assignment, according to ESPN.

Cheffers was the referee who called the holding penalty on Chiefs left tackle Eric Fisher late in Sunday night's AFC Divisional Round game against the Steelers. The penalty negated what would have been a game-tying two-point conversion, and the Steelers went on to win 18-16.

After the game, Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce sharply criticized Cheffers.

"That was horses---, flat out," Kelce told reporters after the game. "He shouldn’t be able to wear a zebra jersey ever again. He shouldn’t even be able to work at f------ Foot Locker."

Super Bowl LI will take place on Feb. 5 in Houston.