During the Super Bowl media run, the Kansas City Chiefs’ star duo of Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce were confronted about the recent officiating controversy throughout the 2024-25 NFL playoffs.
Patrick Mahomes, Travis Kelce Deliver Perfect Responses to Troll
The highly anticipated Super Bowl media run has now officially come and gone, and it’s safe to say it didn’t disappoint. One of the craziest questions asked of both Mahomes and Kelce was about the recent claims that the referees are cheating to help Kansas City.
This particular reporter chose to troll the star duo, asking them each about referees. When confronting Mahomes, he inferred that the referees have helped him as much as his players. Additionally, he was very disrespectful to Kelce, asking, “Which he loves more, Taylor Swift, or phantom 15-yard roughing-the-passer penalties in the playoffs.”
While they could have been rude about it, they both gave respectful answers. Mahomes praised the refs, saying, “All the refs are great. They do the best they can.” Kelce added a simple but effective answer as he said, “That’s a good question, anybody else?”
Do they not understand that they’re just adding fuel to the fire pic.twitter.com/rNAct5b9gU
— Rasheebeers (@RasheeClears) February 4, 2025
While these questions could be seen as disrespectful, it’s clear the reporter was just having some fun joking around with the players. It’s great that the players recognized this and didn’t get too critical in a moment like that.
This may not have been the best time or place to ask these kinds of questions, but there was a more serious answer given by NFL commissioner Roger Goodell as he was asked more appropriately.
NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell Speaks Out on Rigging Accusations
Many of these claims have stemmed from plays that involve star quarterback Mahomes, including a questionable roughing-the-passer penalty in the Divisional Round. However, there was also a controversial play in the AFC Championship when a late Xavier Worthy play was ruled a catch. This has led many fans to claim that the NFL is rigged in favor of Kansas City.
Goodell on officials favoring Chiefs: “This reminds me of the script that I write for entire season. A lot of those theories happen in social media and get a new life. No wants it to be their theory but it reflects the fans passions”. @PFN365
— David Bearman (@DavidBearmanPFN) February 3, 2025
This has been a huge issue on social media, as fans have been livid with the officiating in these playoffs. However, Goodell finally broke his silence on the subject, saying, “It sort of reminds me a little bit of ‘the script’ … a lot of those theories are things that happen on social media. … It’s a ridiculous theory, for anyone who might take it seriously.”
Goodell led off with a joke about how people think he has a “script” for the entire season, which is, to put it simply, impossible to do. He then went on to call these claims “ridiculous” and praise the officials in the NFL, saying, “I think the men and women that officiate in the NFL are outstanding. They have the highest possible standards.”
Goodell says any theory of the Chiefs benefiting from preferential calls from officials is “ridiculous” and the league officiating is “outstanding.” pic.twitter.com/y5jVXQsKHu
— Greg Auman (@gregauman) February 3, 2025