NFL selects line judge from Kansas as part of the Super Bowl LIX officiating crew
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Chiefs’ 2025 Super Bowl run
The Kansas City Chiefs fell to the Philadelphia Eagles in Super Bowl LIX in New Orleans on Sunday, Feb. 9, falling short of a historic third-straight win.
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You couldn’t blame any NFL official for wanting to find some peace and quiet after working a game.
Fans have long nitpicked the work they do on the field, and they’ve been under the microscope even more the last few weeks as fans have criticized officials for helping the Chiefs.
One NFL line judge has a great place to escape from all that noise: his ranch in Sedan, Kansas.
Mark Stewart, who has been an NFL line judge for seven years, is about to have his biggest football job yet. He was chosen for Super Bowl LIX and will be on a crew headed by referee Ron Torbert.
Stewart, who graduated from Pittsburg State, has worked four Wild Card games and a Divisional playoff game, according to Football Zebras. Stewart has been a line judge for seven seasons.
After wearing the uniform No. 0 early in his time as an NFL official, he has switched to No. 75, per Pro Football Reference.
The last time Stewart worked a Chiefs game was in their 2023 regular-season finale against the Los Angeles Chargers at SoFi Stadium.
“What makes it fun and awe-inspiring is when you get to meet and see the people you grew up idolizing,” Stewart said in a 2022 Pitt State alumni story. “Like a game in Miami when they were playing the Jets. Terry Bradshaw, Joe Namath, Dan Marino, Don Shula — they were all there and I went up and shook their hands. These are Hall of Famers I watched as a young teen.”
A line judge’s duties
According to the NFL operations website, there are three main responsibilities for a line judge:
- Watching for offside and encroachment
- Counting offensive players on the field
- Ruling on plays near the sideline on nearest half of the field
On plays near the sideline, a line judge will also determine if a catch is made and where a ball carrier stepped out of bounds, along with monitoring for penalties.
This story was originally published February 2, 2025 at 1:22 PM.
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