NFL
Two Kansas City Chiefs Players Handed Retrospective Fines Amid Fan Outrage For Suspected Favoritism From Referees

The noise surrounding the Kansas City Chiefs referees scandal intensified with yet more disputable decision making in their Conference Championship-clinching win over the Bills, although two players have been slapped with retrospective fines.
Kansas City Chiefs Fined By the NFL For Misconduct
Prior to Sunday’s high-octane win to secure a third-straight AFC Championship, two Kansas City Chiefs players were handed hefty fines by the NFL for their part in a Divisional Round marred by controversy.
A hip-drop tackle on Houston Texans tight end Dalton Schultz was flagged for ‘unnecessary roughness’, which the NFL has penalized Bryan Cook for with a $8,443 fine.
Cook was also joined in the firing line by fellow safety Justin Reid, who received a $14,069 fine for ‘unsportsmanlike conduct’ after making a violent gesture with 10 minutes left to play.
Neither player was pulled up on their actions during the Chiefs’ 23-14 win last week, but the NFL have taken retrospective action to penalize both for their behavior.
This latest chapter in a whirlwind of a postseason for Kansas City comes at a time where a media storm is brewing over suspected favoritism from officials.
They head into February 9th’s Super Bowl LIX as slight favorites against the Eagles, according to the best NFL sportsbooks.
Are the Chiefs Favored By the Refs?
The Kansas City Chiefs referees scandal is perhaps the most weighty talking point ahead of Super Bowl LIX, as they bid to make it a three-peat of Lombardi trophies; a feat no team has ever achieved.
Fans and expert pundits alike have fanned the flame in the aftermath of the Chiefs’ win over Buffalo, particularly with Josh Allen’s attempts to gain a first down with a tush push was deemed to have not crossed the line by at least two inches.
However, CBS’ Gene Steratore challenged the decision immediately and said he “felt like he gained it by about a third of the football”, while Bills coach Sean McDermott was confident Allen had it.
Chiefs coach Andy Reid even said his team were “lucky” after the game came down to a matter of inches.
It has again prompted calls for a significant change in the rules, with fans calling for technology to be implanted within the ball itself to reveal whether it has crossed the line or not.
That decision followed a controversial Divisional Round game where the Texans were pulled up for multiple 15-yard penalties, which NFL officiating expert Ben Austro said “should not have been called.”
ESPN released a shocking graphic in the fallout of that game, which you can see below.
Here’s that @ESPN graphic that @SharpFootball did a deep dive into on his site. pic.twitter.com/LWg10lh05x
— Henry McKenna (@henrycmckenna) January 22, 2025
Julian Edelman Says Patrick Mahomes is Favored Just Like Tom Brady Was
Observers have even likened Patrick Mahomes to Tom Brady, with the Chiefs now carrying the same kind of mysticism as the Belichick-Patriots era.
Super Bowl LIII MVP Julian Edelman has even gone as far as saying Brady was favored by the referees, just like Mahomes is experiencing now.
“The game has completely changed and the rules have changed. So if you know you’re playing against the face of the organ of the league, Patrick Mahomes, if you have to think about it, let it go,” he said.
“That’s what Bill used to always say. I remember being on the other side seeing a late hit on Brady or roughing the passer on Brady where I’m like probably wasn’t there, but it’s Tom Brady, he has already had five Super Bowls you guys got to understand the situation of the game.”
Speaking about accusations of flopping after the game with the Texans, Edelman added: “The referee group likes to throw it close here. You got to know the situation, so yeah it’s a terrible call, but it ain’t going anywhere because these guys make too much money.”