The Kansas City Chiefs find themselves at the center of controversy yet again as fans question the officiating during their 23-14 playoff win against the Houston Texans. Former All-Pro cornerback Aqib Talib has entered the fray, but contrary to the popular belief, he’s defending Patrick Mahomes and Co. amid claims of referee bias.
Aqib Talib Ripped for Advocacy of Kansas City Chiefs
Over the past four years, Kansas City has played 11 playoff games, during which their opponents were called for more penalties in 10 of those matchups. ESPN shared this data, giving way to conspiracy theories that the NFL might favor the reigning Super Bowl champs and their star quarterback.
However, Talib dismissed the criticism and braced for fans calling him out for taking his former rival’s side.
“I’m #BroncosCountry 4Life!!! BUT this Chiefs hate is getting out of hand!!! If you hit the QB in his head, it’s a flag! No matter your intentions! And please don’t say they didn’t touch his head.”
when I compared the stats from ESPN on the Chiefs to those for the other teams in the NFL, the difference was interesting
here's a look at every team with at least 5 playoff games & how they compare
most are relatively neutral… then there are the Bengals… and the Chiefs pic.twitter.com/wwjU1BF9U9
— Warren Sharp (@SharpFootball) January 21, 2025
His tweet, which favored the Chiefs, sparked a backlash online. NFL fans didn’t hold back, with one X user mocking, “This is a very unpopular take… lol.”
This is a very unpopular take… lol
— Jacob (@Jacobkckingpin) January 21, 2025
Another said, “Forever a Broncos for sure but also hell nah. We got to turn the hate up a little even lol.”
“Wait a second. Did you just talk about the Chiefs in a positive way? That’s not allowed on this app,” joked another.
“When you got division rivals having to defend the team that’s when you people doing too much,” one X user tweeted.
One fan accused Talib’s college ties of clouding his vision. “Played at Kansas we know you still got a soft spot for that whole area,” they commented.
“I’m sorry, if you can’t see some bias in these games, then you ain’t watching sir,” tweeted one more.
Even analysts like Troy Aikman disagree, citing questionable calls like the unnecessary roughness penalty on Texans linebacker Henry To’oTo’o for hitting quarterback Patrick Mahomes after a late slide.
“He’s a runner,” Aikman said. “I could not disagree with that one more. He barely gets hit. They’ve got to address it in the offseason. You can’t, as a quarterback, run around and play games with defenders and then be able to draw a penalty.”
Henry To’oTo’o was called for a penalty after this hit on Patrick Mahomes. #HOUvsKC | ESPN, ABC, ESPN+ pic.twitter.com/w4E4cSI3FF
— ESPN (@espn) January 18, 2025
Nonetheless, Kansas City’s penalty record raises eyebrows, and fans aren’t willing to give the reigning champions the benefit of the doubt. Whether it be bias, discipline, or a tendency to embellish, many are more than willing to believe that the Chiefs get a friendly whistle.
As Kansas City gears up for the AFC Championship Game against the Buffalo Bills, the shadow of officiating bias looms behind them — however real it may be.
