Patrick Mahomes has long faced accusations of preferential treatment — but one NFL official has moved to set the record straight.
The Kansas City Chiefs, who have contested five of the last six Super Bowls, have become one of the most polarizing teams in sports amid the suggestion that their quarterback benefits from controversial calls.
Those conspiracies came to a head back in January, after the three-peat chasing Chiefs beat the Houston Texans in the divisional round of the playoffs.
Kansas City won 23-14, and Texans defensive end Will Anderson Jr said after the game that he believed the referees were against his team.
Running back Joe Mixon added that ‘everybody knows how it is’ in pointed remarks.
Houston’s defense was flagged for two controversial penalties at different points when it made contact with Mahomes.
Both extended drives for the Chiefs, leading to a crucial 10 points that helped them overcome the Texans.
“We knew it was going to be us versus the refs going into this game,” Anderson said afterwards.
The comments fuelled already prominent conspiracy theories around the NFL‘s latest dynasty, and led to commissioner Roger Goodell labeling the idea ‘ridiculous’ ahead of Super Bowl LIX.
The labor union that represents referees also basted the conspiracy theories at the time.
Now, seven months on, NFL official Shawn Hochuli has further clarified that no player in the league benefits from ‘preferential treatment’.
“We treat all players the same, in regards to safety fouls. We treat all quarterbacks the same, in regards to roughing the passer,” he told reporters ahead of the 2025 season, when asked about calls in the Chiefs-Texans game.
Hochuli has put to bed any suggestion of calls going in favor of the ChiefsGetty He suggested that every player and team in the NFL is treated the sameGetty“Anybody with the ball, a sliding player — whether it’s a quarterback or not.
“It’s a difficult game, from a rules standpoint, on the defensive side of the ball.
“But I will say, players (I’ve seen) in my 12 years are exceptional at adapting to the rule changes.
“They are unbelievable athletes who do unbelievable things. They’ve adapted, so I credit them for that.
“There’s obviously no favoritism, or preferential treatment, toward not only one player, but one position.”
What has Mahomes said about the refereeing conspiracies?
Suggestion that the Chiefs had benefited from controversial officiating was rife as the team made their run to Super Bowl LIX eight months ago.
Mahomes addressed the refereeing conspiracies ahead of Super Bowl LIXGettyEven Mahomes himself was forced to respond to the conspiracy, ahead of the AFC Championship Game against the Buffalo Bills.
“I just try to play football at the end of the day,” he told reporters.
“The referees are doing their best to call the game as fair and as proper as they can and all you can do is go out there and play the game you love as hard as you can and live with the results.
“So for me, it’s to go out there, play hard, try to do whatever I can to win the football game and then live with the results based off my effort and the way that we played the game.
“I think that’s what we preach here in Kansas City.”
The Chiefs went on to beat the Bills in the AFC title game, and moved onto the Super Bowl.
In the week building up to the big game, Mahomes provided the perfect response when he was ruthlessly called out as he spoke to the press.
“Patrick, for your whole career, you have had so many great people help you win. So who is your favourite ref?” one person asked.
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“That’s hilarious,” Mahomes responded.
“All the refs are great. All the refs are great. They do the best they can. We go out there and play the game the right way.”
While Mahomes, NFL commissioner Goodell, and now veteran official Hochuli have all dispelled suggestions of a Chiefs conspiracy, that likely won’t stop fans floating the idea again next season if Kansas City start stringing together wins en route to the big game.
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