Patrick Mahomes Addresses Refereeing Controversies: 'I've Been On Both Sides of It'

Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes discussed controversial calls and non-calls from KC's divisional round win over the Houston Texans.

Jan 18, 2025; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Houston Texans safety Eric Murray (23) assists Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes (15) up from the ground after a play during the second quarter of a 2025 AFC divisional round game at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images / Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images

As the Kansas City Chiefs pursue NFL history in an attempt to complete the league's first-ever three-peat, much of the national discourse has revolved around referees.

In Saturday's divisional round playoff win over the Houston Texans, quarterback Patrick Mahomes was the beneficiary of one arguable roughing the passer and one unnecessary roughness call, while Mahomes was also criticized for a sideline fall that did not draw a penalty.

Despite the fact that the Chiefs won by multiple possessions and that the penalties did not come in high-leverage moments, the debate persisted.

In an interview with Carrington Harrison on 96.5 The Fan in Kansas City, Mahomes discussed the calls, the controversy, and the persistence of refereeing talk following the Chiefs.

"I've kind of learned that, no matter what happens during the game, that something is going to come out about [the officiating] if you win, and if you continue to win, so I don’t really pay attention to it," Mahomes said. "Obviously, I’ve been on both sides of it, as far as how I’ve 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.

"Obviously, there was a call here or there that people didn’t agree with, but at the same time, I think there were a lot of other plays that really decided the outcome of that football game."

Harrison then asked Mahomes what he makes of conversations about the way Mahomes plays, potentially attempting to draw roughing the passer penalties.

"I would say that the only one [where] I felt like I probably did too much was the one on the sideline where I didn’t get the flag," Mahomes said. "The ref saw it and didn’t throw a flag, I understood it immediately and know that I probably shouldn’t have done that.

"But at the same time, the one that everybody is talking about where I fell down — I was just trying to get out of the way of getting smoked by the defensive lineman running. 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."

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