Face it or not, the Kansas City Chiefs have benefited from NFL officiating over recent years. That’s the evolution of a true dynasty with historically great players, something that can be tabbed as greatness privilege.
Even though numerous data points state otherwise, the perception that the Chiefs get the calls still persists loud and clear. The issue was heightened when the Chiefs received favorable calls in their Divisional Playoff victory against the Houston Texans on Jan. 18, 2025.
When you have a quarterback like Patrick Mahomes II pushing his status to become the greatest ever, with championships to back it up, that is what happens. This phenomenon isn’t exclusive to Mahomes or the NFL. Legendary athletes across all sports—Tom Brady, LeBron James, Cristiano Ronaldo—have faced similar accusations. If there is a 50-50 call, or even 60-40 call, there is a high probability it will benefit the athlete or team with greater status.
“We are very lucky to have him here. The stuff he’s doing just doesn’t happen and that’s why he’s the greatest at doing what he’s done in a relatively young career here”
Andy Reid, Chiefs head coach on Patrick Mahomes II
Mahomes is well on his way to becoming a unanimous first-ballot Hall of Famer, already with four Super Bowl appearances and three Super Bowl victories. He is in good company alongside Troy Aikman and Earl Morrall also having three Super Bowl titles. The only quarterbacks with more are Joe Montana and Terry Bradshaw, who both have four, in addition to Brady’s seven Super Bowls.
When asked if he gets special treatment, Mahomes responded, “I don’t feel that way. I just try to play football at the end of the day. The referees are doing their best to call the game as fair and as proper as they possibly can – and all you can do is go out there and play the game that you love as hard as you can and live with the results. For me it’s to go out there, play hard, try and 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 – that’s what we preach here in Kansas City.”
The three-time Super Bowl champion humbly stated that he feels no different about referee treatment as a veteran. The 29-year-old face of the NFL will continue to receive backlash as long as he continues his march further into greatness.
His achievements—four Super Bowl appearances and three victories before turning 30—cement his place among the NFL’s greatest. Mahomes has worked with head coach Andy Reid and tight end Travis Kelce to form an unbreakable offensive powerhouse.
While debates about officiating will continue, they do little to diminish his or the Chiefs’ legacy. Greatness always attracts criticism, which has only been elevated with the presence of Taylor Swift, but the Chiefs have brushed that aside in their hunt for a rare Super Bowl thee-peat.
Kansas City Sports Magazine 