The Kansas City Chiefs won over the Washington Commanders 28-7 in the Week 8 matchup. But the final score wasn’t the only thing people were talking about when the game ended.​ The real fireworks came later in the fourth quarter when the Commanders’ defensive tackle Jer’Zhan Newton sacked Patrick Mahomes for an eight-yard loss. But even after the whistle blew, Newton continued the play and slung Patrick Mahomes to the turf.

The officials immediately threw a flag for unnecessary roughness. This gave Kansas City a free 15 yards and a first down.​ That’s when Hall of Fame quarterback Troy Aikman made his feelings known.

“Yeah, didn’t land on him, threw him down. It wasn’t a lot, but with that said, when it comes to quarterbacks, especially this one, they’re going to protect them,” Aikman said on the broadcast. The comment seemed to acknowledge what many fans have been saying for years:

Mahomes and the Chiefs get favorable treatment from officials that other teams don’t receive.​

The controversy had kicked off early when the Commanders decided to go for a first down on fourth and six from the Chiefs’ 40-yard line in the first quarter. Backup quarterback Marcus Mariota, filling in for injured starter Jayden Daniels, connected with tight end Zach Ertz over the middle. It appeared like a clear first down.

But the officials ruled Ertz short by five inches after a virtual measurement review. This is not the first time the Chiefs have faced criticism for being ‘favored.’

During their Week 6 matchup against the Detroit Lions, the Chiefs weren’t called for a single penalty in their 30-17 victory. The Lions were flagged four times for 38 yards, while the Chiefs finished with zero accepted penalties. It was just the 12th time since 2019 that an NFL team had zero penalties called on them during a game.

That same game also featured another speculation when Lions quarterback Jared Goff appeared to score a touchdown on a creative trick play on fourth and goal. But after a lengthy discussion, officials called an illegal motion on Goff. Reason?

He didn’t come to a complete stop for at least one full second before the ball was snapped. Leaving that game aside, fans have shared their take on the recent game against the Commanders

Fans call out Patrick Mahomes’ protection after controversial penalty

One fan pointed out the impossible situation defenders face with the current rules. “Ref has to blow the whistle. He wrapped up. Blow the whistle I’ll let him go. But I can’t just let him go if the ball is still in play,” the fan wrote.

The comment highlighted the dilemma defenders face, needing officials to stop play quickly, or else risking penalties even when the tackle is clean.

The level of contact on the Mahomes hit led another fan to sarcastically write, “Lmao you literally can’t sack him.”

League data shows that through Week 5, officials have thrown the flag just 28 times. A 45% decrease from the 51 calls made last season.

Multiple fans expressed their belief that the NFL has become overly protective of quarterbacks at the expense of defensive players being able to do their jobs. “This s*** got so soft,” one fan commented, while another added, “This NFL has become sooooo soft.”

Even Rams linebacker Bobby Wagner echoed the same sentiment: “They make it really hard for a defensive player.”

Another fan simply wrote “Flop,” suggesting that Mahomes embellished the contact to draw the penalty.

A study has further added fuel to this fire. Researchers from the University of Texas at El Paso examined more than 13,000 penalty calls from 2015 to 2023 and found that postseason officiating has disproportionately favored the Chiefs during the Patrick Mahomes era.

The debate isn’t likely to go away soon. As the Chiefs move on to Week 9 to face the Buffalo Bills, all eyes will be on Patrick Mahomes and how the referees handle every key moment in this heavyweight showdown.