Ron Torbert was the referee on the field for the Eagles’ first game of the season and he’ll also be the ref for their final game of the season.
The NFL has tabbed Torbert to serve as the referee in Super Bowl LIX, marking the second time that he’s gotten to officiate a Super Bowl. Torbert’s first refereeing gig in the big game came back in February 2022 when he was the ref during the Rams’ 23-20 win over the Bengals in Super Bowl LVI.
Torbert has already worked one postseason game this year, and that came in the divisional round when he served as the referee for the Washington Commanders’ 45-31 win over the Detroit Lions.
The 61-year-old Torbert started in the NFL as a side judge in 2010 before being promoted to referee in 2014. This will mark the 14th postseason game of Torbert’s career. Besides Super Bowl LVI, his biggest game came in the 2022 AFC Championship (Chiefs 23-20 over Bengals), which also marks the last time he officiated a Chiefs game.
If you’re wondering how the Eagles and Chiefs have fared with Torbert, here’s a look at their record with him over the past five years (stats via Pro Football Reference).
- Eagles: 5-3 (2-0 in 2024)
- Chiefs: 2-1 (0-0 in 2024)
Who is playing in 2025 Super Bowl: Patrick Mahomes, Saquon Barkley headline rosters for Chiefs and Eagles
Bryan DeArdo
This is the third time this season that Torbert has seen the Eagles. The veteran official was the referee back in Week 1 for the Eagles’ 34-29 win over the Packers in Brazil. He was also the referee for their 20-13 win over the Giants in Week 18.
On the other hand, it’s been two years since Torbert last officiated a Chiefs game and that came in the aforementioned AFC Championship against the Bengals. During Patrick Mahomes’ seven seasons as a starter, Torbert has only officiated four of his games with Kansas City going 3-1.
According to the NFL, the rest of Torbert’s crew for the game will be umpire Mike Morton, down judge Max Causey, line judge Mark Stewart, side judge Boris Cheek, field judge Mearl Robinson, back judge Jonah Monroe and replay official Kevin Brown.
This will be the fourth Super Bowl for Cheek, who is one of just two people on the crew — along with Torbert — to have previously served as an official in a Super Bowl. Morton also has some Super Bowl experience, but that came as a player: He won a ring with the St. Louis Rams after their 23-16 win over the Tennessee Titans in Super Bowl XXXIV.
Super Bowl LIX will be kicking off from New Orleans on Feb. 9 in a game that will be televised on Fox.
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