Patrick Mahomes interaction with NFL referee during game raises questions
Patrick Mahomes' interaction with an NFL referee during a recent game against the Washington Commanders raises questions among fans after the Kansas City Chiefs' impressive win
Fans on social media noticed a moment between Patrick Mahomes and an official over the weekend and did not let slip by, which comes after Jaxon Smith-Njigba was handed a hefty fine for a recent celebration.
In the Kansas City Chiefs' 28-7 win over the Washington Commanders, Mahomes completed 25-of-34 pass attempts for 299 yards with three touchdowns and two interceptions. Though the star signal caller's night was impressive, with the Chiefs improving to 5-3 on the season, a brief moment grabbed fans' attention instead.
With under five minutes remaining in the game and the Chiefs up by three scores, Mahomes, whose weight was exposed after a vile 'fat and embarrassment' remark, was spotted chatting with a referee.
An account on X took a two-second clip and captioned: "Patrick Mahomes is really comfortable with the ref... It's getting too hard to ignore."
Fans quickly took to social media to call out the moment between Mahomes and the official. "Why not? They’re on the same side," a commenter wrote in response to the original caption on X.
Another added: "They were also having a full on conversation before the game. This game was not rigged in the slightest but in what circumstances does a QB need to be fraternizing with the refs pregame. They could be saying all kinds of s--- to each other, just seems like something that does not need to happen."
However, other fans pushed back on the notion that Mahomes and the Chiefs were in bed with the officials in order to get favorable calls each week. "Dude it’s 28 to 7 The game is over! Mahomes has now been in the league 8 plus years. He is nice to almost everyone he meets! The guy is actually a very good man," a user said.
"Why are dumb people trying to blast Mahomes (failing miserably, as usual) like, tell me you've never stepped on a football field without telling me. You know refs are human, right? He's the ultimate competitor and knows that refs are people before they're refs.
"What a weird f---ing thing to worry about.....what two men who are far better than you are discussing.....weird energy," read a lengthy comment from a fan.
Looking for more to watch? Peacock has hit shows, movies, live sports, and more. You can watch popular titles like Wicked and The Traitors, along with Premier League matches and live golf all in one place. Peacock offers plans starting at $7.99 a month and you can cancel anytime.
Despite how Mahomes and the Chiefs' relationship with the referees is portrayed on social media, the NFL has done its part in shutting down any conspiracy theories. In the leadup to Super Bowl LIX in New Orleans, Executive Director of the NFL Referees' Association Scott Green made it clear that referees were unbiased.
"This sort of reminds me a little bit of the script," he said at the time "That I write a script and that I have a script for the entire season. I think for a lot of ... those theories are things that happen on social media and they get a new life.
“I think it reflects a lot of the fans' passion. And it's also a reminder for us how important officiating is. I think the men and women who officiate in the NFL are outstanding. It's a ridiculous theory for anyone who might take it seriously. But at the end of the day, it's something we always have to continue to work on, how do we make our officiating better at all times."
He added: "Officiating crews do not work the same team more than twice each regular season. It is insulting and preposterous to hear conspiracy theories that somehow 17 officiating crews consisting of 138 officials are colluding to assist one team."
It comes after Andy Reid gave an injury update on a key Mahomes weapon after a scary collision.