Roger Goodell Speaks Out on Officials Showing Favoritism to the Chiefs: ‘Ridiculous Theory’

Roger Goodell has heard your petty internet conspiracy theories about the Chiefs getting favoritism from NFL officials and has branded those concerns “ridiculous.”

During his annual press conference at the start of Super Bowl week, Goodell asked about the perception that Kansas City benefits from controversial calls at an alarming rate. It didn’t take the commish long to dismiss the theory entirely.

“This sort of thing reminds me of the script, right, that I write a script, and I have the script for the entire season,” said Goodell. “Listen, I think from a lot of those theories are things that happen in social media, and they gain a new life. As you said [reporter], it’s not your theory, but it’s out there. Nobody wants it to be their theory and so, I understand it. I think it reflects a lot of the fan’s passion and it’s also a reminder for us of how important officiating is.

“I think the men and women that officiate in the NFL are outstanding. They have the highest possible standards. That’s a ridiculous theory for anyone who might take it seriously. But at the end of the day, that’s something we always have to continue to work on how do we make our officiating better at all times.”

Whether people believe in the theory that the referees are cheating for the Chiefs or not, Goodell’s idea that the officiating in the NFL is “outstanding” is not shared by most, even among the most knowledgeable people in the game.

Last week, Cowboys Hall of Famer and ESPN analyst Troy Aikman said the NFL not only has an officiating problem but “owes” it to the fans to fix it this offseason. This is especially true; Aikman believes that since the league has embraced sports gambling, it needs credibility for bettors to feel comfortable wagering on the sport.

“I know the officials have a tough job. I mean, the scrutiny that they’re under,” Aikman said on a recent episode of SI Media with Jimmy Traina. “As we’ve gotten more advanced with instant replay, those guys, it seems, have become more and more scrutinized.

“And the game has not become less controversial. The game has become more controversial,” Aikman continued. “I just think that we’re at a point that this has tipped a little bit because the league is partners with a number of these gambling services.

“Here you are promoting gambling — people are gambling more than they ever have before, and those types of calls – there’s a lot at stake regardless. But especially when you’re considering there’s a lot of money that’s changing hands with these calls as well.

“I think that we owe it to the fans that we get it right, and I think we’re at a point in time where we can. We can get it more right. So, that was really my position in just trying to lean on the NFL and say, ‘Hey, we gotta fix this. We gotta address it in the offseason.’”

With those comments, Aikman didn’t limit his critique to games involving the Chiefs but addressed them broadly to the league to reflect a widespread and systemic problem affecting all games.

However, the topic of the Chiefs specifically benefitting from these calls came to the fore again this offseason after three highly controversial calls in the Divisional Round game all went Kansas City’s way, and another two controversial calls went their way again in the Bills game.

With a 0ne-point lead and a crucial 4th & 1, Bills QB Josh Allen failed to convert (or, at least, seemingly failed to) the first down. The play was critical since the Chiefs were awarded the ball, scored on the ensuing possession, and never looked back as they eeked out a three-point win and punched their ticket to the Super Bowl.

The trend of game-altering plays going Kansas City’s way in the playoffs goes back to at least the 2021 postseason. After the Chiefs’ Wild-Card victory over the Texans, another game in which multiple controversial calls went Kansas City’s way, Warren Sharp of Sharp Football Analysis did a deep dive to reveal that the Chiefs have been assessed fewer penalties than their opponents in ten of 11 playoff games since 2021.

Not only that, Sharp’s analysis revealed that an overwhelming percentage of the key penalties in games, the 15-yard penalties and other game-altering calls, have nearly all gone Kansas City’s way.