@KyleClarkOnX
There are a number of words that people have used in the past to describe NFL Referees.
Often those words range somewhere from “stupid” to “idiots,” “stubborn,” and a number of things that we aren’t allowed to write here on BroBible.com because the internet isn’t a huge fan of them.
However, rarely, if ever, has someone used the word “cool” to describe an NFL official. Sure, there’s Ed “Guns” Hochuli, who everyone respected for being absolutely jacked. But I don’t think there were many, if any, people out there who would’ve considered Hochuli cool.
One mystery man, though, appears to have broken the mold.
Mystery NFL Official Shows Up To AFC Championship Game Rocking Fur Ref Coat
The forecast for Sunday’s AFC Championship Game in Denver between the Broncos and New England Patriots wasn’t pretty.
It featured frigid conditions with temperatures starting in the mid-20s and dropping to the teens, with single-digit wind chill. The second half also saw blizzard conditions, making it nearly impossible for either offense or special teams unit.
But one man, at least, came prepared.
Can any NFL insiders or super fans ID the super swaggy guy who came out with the officiating crew wearing a FUR REF COAT? Sweet. pic.twitter.com/UKQIJcIwJ2
— Kyle Clark (@KyleClark) January 25, 2026
Denver TV reporter Kyle Clark posted a picture before kickoff of an NFL official on the sideline wearing a league hat and black and white referee-striped fur coat, making him, by far, the coolest NFL referee in history.
The only problem is that nobody seemed to know who the official was.
X’s Grok AI claimed that the man was Carl Johnson, who is a 22-year NFL veteran and served as the alternate line judge for the game.
However, others identified the man as Wade Manning, who played six years in the NFL and currently serves as one of the league’s official uniform inspectors.
A zoomed-in view of the official’s credential card didn’t exactly clear up the matter, either, as both have the same number of letters in their first and last names.
One thing is certain, however: whoever it is officially has the respect of NFL fans everywhere.