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NFL Makes Final Decision on Chiefs Incident

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Paolo Songco | Last updated Jan 11, 2026 7:33 AM ET

The Kansas City Chiefs are missing the NFL playoffs for the first time since 2014. They ended their season with a 6-11 record after losing their last six games. For the first time in his career, Patrick Mahomes will not be participating in the postseason.

Mahomes did not play in the Chiefs’ last game of the campaign. He stayed in Kansas City to rehab his season-ending knee injury as the Chiefs took on the Las Vegas Raiders in their season finale.

The Raiders ended their season on a high note with a 14-12 win. Las Vegas marked just its third win of the campaign in Week 18, finishing with a 3-14 record.

Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes (15).Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images

The Raiders-Chiefs game featured a number of contentious incidents, including an unsportsmanlike conduct violation on Kansas City.

The Chiefs were flagged for a penalty at the 2:14 mark of the second quarter. The infraction was called against the Chiefs bench, and it resulted in a 10-yard penalty in favor of the Raiders.

The referees did not provide an official explanation during the game. The broadcast was unable to give one, either. Chiefs head coach Andy Reid was shown right after the call, before the broadcast cut to commercial.

The good news for the Chiefs is that the NFL has not fined them for their infraction. The NFL’s rulebook stipulates that unsportsmanlike conduct penalties are eligible for a fine of $14,491 for a first offense and $20,288 for a second.

For context, the NFL fined 10 incidents of unsportsmanlike conduct in Week 18. The most substantial fine was on A.J. Epenesa of the Buffalo Bills. He was fined $14,491 for removal of the helmet.

The league announced all the fines from Week 18 on Saturday via the gameday accountability report. No player from the Chiefs was included on the list.

The Chiefs were fined 12 times throughout the season for various violations. The most substantial fine was on running back Isiah Pacheco, who was fined $46,371 in Week 13 for impermissible use of the helmet.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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