Shannon Sharpe and Chad Johnson Support Patrick Mahomes’ Stance on Chiefs Not Receiving Favoritism from Refs: ‘Numbers Don’t Bear That Out

The debate over officiating in the Kansas City Chiefs’ 23-14 divisional playoff win against the Houston Texans has sparked significant controversy. The focus intensified after the Texans were flagged for two debatable penalties—a roughing the passer call and an unnecessary roughness penalty. These decisions have fueled discussions among players, fans, and analysts.

Patrick Mahomes addressed the controversy, emphasizing the challenges referees face in maintaining fairness while letting players decide the outcome. “I’ve learned that no matter what happens during the game, if you win—especially consistently—something will always come up. I don’t really pay attention to it,” Mahomes stated.

On a recent episode of Nightcap, former NFL stars Chad “Ochocinco” Johnson and Shannon Sharpe defended both Mahomes and the league’s officials. Sharpe highlighted a key statistic: “Roughing calls, per 100 pass attempts, Patrick Mahomes received the fewest.”

Johnson echoed Sharpe’s sentiments, referencing data discussed earlier on Inside NFL. “We broke down the numbers about people claiming that Mahomes and the Chiefs get all these favorable calls. It turns out, when you examine the stats comprehensively, it’s not true.”

Johnson further noted that Kansas City’s offensive line leads the league in holding penalties, countering the narrative of officiating bias in favor of the Chiefs. Both Sharpe and Johnson concluded, “The numbers just don’t bear that out.”