Report: Ex-NFL ref Jeff Triplette joins ESPN as rules analyst

Former NFL referee Jeff Triplette will join ESPN's Monday Night Football as a rules analyst, Cameron Filipe of Football Zebras reports.

The NFL pushed ESPN to hire Triplette, according to Filipe.

Triplette, who joined the league in 1996, retired from refereeing after the 2017 season, with the Titans-Chiefs playoff game serving as his final contest. He worked during 11 playoff games and was the alternate referee for Super Bowl XLI.

He may be best known, though, for accidentally hitting Cleveland Browns offensive tackle Orlando Brown with a weighted penalty flag during a December 1999 game. Brown pushed Triplette and was suspended as a result.

Triplette also served as the president of the NFL Referees Association from 2013-2017.