Patrick Mahomes And The Kansas City Chiefs Face Fresh Controversy As Former Denver Broncos Star Accuses NFL Referees Of Favoritism

NFL referees accused of favoring Patrick Mahomes' Kansas City Chiefs© Getty via AFP

Former Denver Broncos safety Justin Simmons has accused NFL referees of helping Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs for years. Simmons made the claim on his podcast, The Last Line, after Denver beat Kansas City 28-24 in Week 8. The Broncos moved to 6-2 and took first place in the AFC West. A late false start on Chiefs tackle Jaylon Moore wiped out a game-winning touchdown, and angry Chiefs fans blamed the officials. Simmons, who played eight seasons in Denver, had no sympathy. He told those fans the cheating had gone on for years.

Justin Simmons says referees have helped Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs for years

Simmons came in hot. He said, “I seen it all on social media and I already got beef with Chiefs fans anyway.” Then he got to the part that lit up timelines: “Y'all been cheating the whole time y'all had Patrick Mahomes! Refs been cheating!”

He stood by the flag, too. “It was a false start. Y'all lost, and y'all lost at the 1-yard line.”

Kareem Jackson, his co-host and former Broncos teammate, piled on. He compared the Chiefs' reaction to “the kid in the neighborhood who loses and they take their ball, and they go home with it.”

Mahomes had driven the Chiefs to the 1-yard line before the penalty pushed them back to the 6. Malcolm Roach then sacked him on the next snap to end the game.

How the Chiefs and the data answer the claim

Mahomes seemed surprised after the game. He said that in big moments, “the little stuff doesn't get called like that,” according to the Associated Press. His wife, Brittany Mahomes, was blunter and criticized the officials in an Instagram post.

Travis Kelce took a different route. He said the penalty was no excuse for the loss, and pointed to the offense's failure to finish the drive.

The debate itself is not new. Before Super Bowl LIX, Roger Goodell called the theories “ridiculous,” and a FOX report noted the Chiefs had been flagged for 120 more yards than their opponents since 2022.

Patrick Mahomes' Chiefs face fresh referee favoritism allegations
Photo Credit: Getty via AFP

Simmons did not cite data in his rant. He pointed instead to Sunday Night Football coverage that keeps bringing up Mahomes even when he is not playing, and argued that kind of attention can sway calls. That is one former player's view, not a finding.