NFL Announces Punishment Decision After Patrick Mahomes Incident

Denny Medley-Imagn Images

NFL Announces Punishment Decision After Patrick Mahomes Incident

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Chris Phelps | Last updated Sep 19, 2026 4:09 PM ET

Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs began the 2026 NFL season with a bang, jumping to 1-0 after taking down Bo Nix and the Denver Broncos 31-10 in Week 1’s edition of “Monday Night Football.” Now, the Chiefs will look to remain perfect in Week 2, remaining in Kansas City to host Daniel Jones and the Indianapolis Colts on “Sunday Night Football.”

With 27 seconds remaining in the third quarter of Chiefs vs. Broncos, Mahomes and Kansas City received the ball up 24-10. On the very first play of the drive, the former Texas Tech quarterback attempted to hit tight end Travis Kelce short over the middle before the pass fell incomplete.

But after releasing the ball, Denver linebacker Nik Bonitto came flying in from behind, only to hit Mahomes in the head/neck area. However, the play went unnoticed by the officials and no flag was thrown.

Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes (15) quiets the crowd during the second half against the Seattle Seahawks at Arrowhead Stadium. Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images

Still, despite no call for roughing the passer, the NFL reviewed the play for potential further punishment, as they do every play from every game. And the league defines roughing the passer as “any physical acts against a player who is in a passing posture (i.e. before, during, or after attempting a pass) which, in the game official’s judgment, are unwarranted by the circumstances of the play will be called as fouls.”

With his hit on Mahomes, Bonitto could have faced a fine of up to $17,911 for the first offense of the season, which can increase to $23,882 upon a second violation. But sure enough, the NFL announced on Saturday that Bonitto has not been fined for his hit toward Mahomes’ head.

Bonitto had already been fined four times in his NFL career for a total of $36,501. He was most recently charged $11,593 for unsportsmanlike conduct against the Washington Commanders last season, while getting charged $8,791 in 2024 for roughing the passer against the Seattle Seahawks.

Mahomes takes a shot to the head after this throw. Refs don’t throw a flag for roughing the passer. pic.twitter.com/K0TE7Z0vo9
— Rate the Refs (@Rate_the_Refs) September 15, 2026