NFL to Announce Punishment Decision After Justin Herbert Incident

Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs are battling Justin Herbert and the Los Angeles Chargers in a divisional matchup, with a chance to extend their winning streak to five games in the 2026 NFL season.

The Chiefs arrived with a strong 4-0 record built on victories over the Las Vegas Raiders, Miami Dolphins, Indianapolis Colts and Denver Broncos, but one first-quarter play on Sunday could matter beyond the score.

With 3:06 left in the opening quarter, Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert scrambled around the right end for a 6-yard run to the Kansas City 22-yard line. As he gave himself up or went to the ground, Chiefs cornerback L’Jarius Sneed closed in to make the stop.

On the play, the cornerback delivered a direct knee to the quarterback’s head and neck area, prompting a flag for unnecessary roughness. The accepted 15-yard penalty moved the Chargers inside the red zone to the Kansas City 11-yard line.

Replays suggest Sneed may have been trying to avoid contact and couldn’t stop his momentum as Herbert dropped, but the NFL’s strict player-safety guidelines hold defenders accountable for hits on sliding or defenseless quarterbacks.