Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs got the job done against the Houston Texans in the Divisional Round of the 2025 NFL playoffs, but the victory came at a cost: to hear accusations of being favored by the referees (again).
The officiating at Arrowhead left many Texans players and neutral NFL fans frustrated, even if DeMeco Ryans admitted that Andy Reid and his Chiefs still deserved the win.
During an interview with Carrington Harrison of 96.5 The Fan on Tuesday, Mahomes addressed the narrative around the officiating for the Chiefs, showing compassion for the NFL referees.
“I‘ve kind of learned that no matter what happens during the game, that something’s going to come out about it if you win and you continue to win, so I don’t really pay attention to it,” Mahomes said.
Patrick Mahomes #15 of the Kansas City Chiefs celebrates with fans after defeating the Houston Texans in the AFC Divisional Playoff at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium on January 18, 2025 in Kansas City, Missouri.
“I mean, obviously I’ve been on both sides of it as far as how I felt the calls were made, but at the end of the day, man, those guys are doing their best to make the best calls and keep it to where the players are making the plays in the game. And that’s what decides the outcome.“
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Mahomes claims controversial calls weren’t the reason Chiefs beat Texans
The decisions that sparked the most outrage had to do with two roughing the passer calls that benefitted Mahomes. Referee Clay Martin defended his controversial calls, but the complaints still existed.
Mahomes understands that some decisions may give people plenty to talk about, but at the end of the day, he feels that those calls did not influence the result against the Texans.
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“Obviously there was a call here or there that people didn’t agree with, but at the same time, I think there was a lot of other plays that really decided the outcome of that football game,” Mahomes said.
Another accusation from opposing NFL fans the Chiefs often have to deal with has to do with Mahomes allegedly drawing opponents into situations that may result in roughing the passer penalties.
Mahomes admits that refs missed a penalty against him vs Texans
The Chiefs quarterback defended the call for which two Texans defenders were penalized after he slid late, but Mahomes did admit that he should’ve been flagged for a play where he flopped on the sideline.
“I would say that the only one I felt like I probably did too much was the one on the sideline where I didn’t get a flag and the ref saw it and didn’t throw a flag, and I understood it immediately, and know that I probably shouldn’t have done that,” Mahomes said.
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“But at the same time, the one that everybody’s talking about where I fell down, it’s like I was just trying to get out of the way of getting smoked by the defensive lineman running in. So I’ll try to keep doing that and not take those hits because that’s the smart way to stay in the football game.“
Mahomes and the Chiefs have already enjoyed plenty of success in the last few years, though their victories didn’t seem to sit well with everybody. Expect the officiating to be once again under the microscope when Kansas City hosts the Buffalo Bills in the 2025 AFC Championship Game.
