Calls Mount for Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes to Face NFL Punishment

Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes got away with a win in Saturday's divisional-round game against the Houston Texans, but could not escape controversy from his actions in the game.

The Chiefs won 23-14 to advance to the AFC championship game, hounding the Texans and quarterback C.J. Stroud with an aggressive defense. But the Chiefs were also the beneficiaries of some controversial calls on offense, with a pair of roughing penalties on Mahomes drawing controversy.

Another non-call also sparked pushback against the Chiefs and some calls for Mahomes to be punished. The Chiefs were driving into the red zone in the fourth quarter when Mahomes scrambled toward the sidelines and took a hit -- while still inbounds -- and appeared to flop as he fell to the ground.

The play generated controversy and some calls for the NFL to begin penalizing players who embellish hits in an attempt to draw a penalty.

"Bad roughing calls happen. But this lasting image right here is unbecoming of the guy who is supposed to be the face of the sport," wrote analyst Brett Kollmann in a post on X. "The league has to make flopping a foul or guys will just keep doing it. It’s not fair to defenders that QBs can have their cake and eat it too."