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NFL Quietly Admits Patrick Mahomes Received Favorable Calls From Referees

Originally posted on The Spun | By Chris Rosvoglou | Last updated Jan 25, 2025 4:45 PM ET

Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes drew two questionable penalties during last Saturday's game against the Houston Texans. One call in particular was so ridiculous that fans accused the NFL of protecting the two-time MVP.

During the first quarter of the Texans-Chiefs game, Will Anderson Jr. was flagged for roughing the passer. It was a hit that ESPN's rules analyst Russell Yurk didn't agree with. While on the broadcast, Yurk said, "It looked like that first contact was to the upper chest area. I didn't see anything there that supported a foul."

Later in this divisional round game, Mahomes drew a penalty on Texans linebacker Henry To’oTo’o after sliding late. That call legitimately had Troy Aikman heated in ESPN's booth.

"Aw, come on," Aikman said. "He's a runner, and I could not disagree with that one more. He barely gets hit. That's the second penalty now that's been called against the Texans."

Interestingly enough, the NFL announced this Saturday that neither Anderson nor To’oTo’o will be fined for their hits. That's a clear indication the league didn't find those hits to be egregious.

The NFL won't come out and admit that both calls were questionable, but if we're being honest, this decision tells you all you need to know.

Mahomes was asked this week if he believes the referees give him special treatment. Obviously, he said no.

"I don’t feel that way," Mahomes said. "I just try to play football at the end of the day. The referees are doing their best to call the game as fair and as proper as they can."

Before fans dish out more criticism to Mahomes, just know he owned up to his flop in the fourth quarter.

"I would say that the only one I felt like I probably did too much was the one on the sideline where I didn’t get a flag and the ref saw it and didn’t throw a flag, and I understood it immediately, and know that I probably shouldn’t have done that," the three-time Super Bowl champion said.

Hopefully, the officiating crew for the AFC Championship doesn't make any baffling calls. If so, fans will be screaming about the league being rigged for Mahomes and the chiefs.

This article first appeared on The Spun and was syndicated with permission.

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