NFL Down Judge Hugo Cruz Fired for Poor Performance#CB26

NFL Down Judge Hugo Cruz Fired for Poor Performance The NFL has fired one of its down judges, Hugo Cruz, for poor performance. That report cited seven sources with firsthand knowledge of the situation, noting that a missed false start call in a Week 6 game between the Los Angeles Chargers and Cleveland Browns was the final straw for the league. One of the sources confirmed that Cruz was not maintaining a very high level of performance over a sustained period, while another told Football Zebras in March that Cruzs future with the league was already in jeopardy. This is partially borne out by his lack of postseason assignments for the two seasons he would have qualified for, not counting assignment as an alternate last season. Another oddity that our sources could not find a reason for was that Cruz was assigned to a different crew for 3 of the 6 regular season games he has worked this year. The report noted the NFL has never fired an official midseason during the Super Bowl era, instead fining or suspending them for poor performance. Cruz joined the NFL in 2015 after being recruited from Conference USA, where he officiated for five years.