NFL referee Ed Hochuli and his muscles are retiring

Matt Rosenberg
Tuesday, March 6, 2018 1:09 p.m. | Tuesday, March 6, 2018 1:09 p.m.

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SAN DIEGO, CA - AUGUST 08: Referee Ed Hochuli #85 jokes on the field during the game between the Seattle Seahawks and the San Diego Chargers at Qualcomm Stadium on August 8, 2013 in San Diego, California. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)

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CHARLOTTE, NC - SEPTEMBER 27: Referee Ed Hochuli during their game at Bank of America Stadium on September 27, 2015 in Charlotte, North Carolina. (Photo by Streeter Lecka/Getty Images)

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CHICAGO, IL - SEPTEMBER 15: Referee Ed Hochuli #85 makes a call during a game between the Chicago Bears and the Minnesota Vikings at Soldier Field on September 15, 2013 in Chicago, Illinois. The Bears defeated the Vikings 31-30. (Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images)

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ARLINGTON, TX - JANUARY 9: Referee Ed Hochuli during a game between the Philadelphia Eagles and the Dallas Cowboys during the 2010 NFC wild-card playoff game at Cowboys Stadium on January 9, 2010 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)

The NFL will have a little less muscle to flex next season.

Longtime referee Ed Hochuli and his biceps are retiring, the league announced today. Hochuli will join Jeff Triplette on the retirement trail.

Congratulations to our 2 newest @NFL referees, former BJ Shawn Hochuli & former SJ Alex Kemp. Best wishes to our 2 retiring referees, Ed Hochuli & Jeff Triplette. pic.twitter.com/iEv6xOprkf

— Al Riveron (@alriveron) March 6, 2018

Hochuli has been with the league since 1990 and in 2007 became the league's longest-tenured ref.

His verbose penalty explanations and tight shirts likely will be remembered long after anyone can think about his refereeing contributions.

Triplette has been in the league since 1996. You might remember Triplette as being the perpetrator of temporary blindness in late lineman Orlando Brown after Triplette threw a flag that hit Brown .

Shawn Hochuli, Ed's son, and Alex Kemp will become referees.

With no offense to Triplette, Hochuli's absence will be mourned in football fan circles.

Ed Hochuli is retiring from NFL officiating, no word yet on if he's retiring from the preacher curls. pic.twitter.com/JyLRnBUr3g

— CBS Sports (@CBSSports) March 6, 2018

If there is a god, Ed Hochuli has already been hired by a network as their officiating analyst.

— Judy Battista (@judybattista) March 6, 2018

Ed Hochuli is retiring? Aw, man. Well, hopefully a TV network hires him. His long explanations will fill time perfectly while we sit through a 5-minute 'Is it a catch?' review.

— Big Head Big Heart (@BigHeadBullshit) March 6, 2018

Ed Hochuli is retiring.This is the closest we've come to having gun control in America. pic.twitter.com/EukEPJhI1w

— eric riley (@ericrileyy) March 6, 2018

Happy Retirement to the gun show Ed Hochuli ❕ pic.twitter.com/9odlfqPVZ0

— Def Pen Sports (@DefPenSports) March 6, 2018

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