Roger Goodell speaks out on public perception that officiating benefits Kansas City Chiefs

NFL commissioner Roger Goodell said Monday the public perception that the Kansas City Chiefs benefit from officiating is a “ridiculous theory” born on social media.

“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, speaking with the media in New Orleans ahead of Super Bowl LIX. “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.”

Roger Goodell pushes back on theory referees favor Chiefs

The subject of officiating and how much the Chiefs’ success is tied to favorable calls has long been a topic of discussion during their recent dominance. But there are several examples of questionable calls where the Chiefs benefitted, including in the AFC Championship Game victory over the Buffalo Bills.

With the Bills up 22-21, quarterback Josh Allen tried to convert a fourth down play, but was ruled short. And after review, he was still ruled short. However, some believed he got enough for a first down, including the broadcast team on CBS Sports. In the ensuing moments, the Chiefs promptly marched down the field. A Patrick Mahomes rushing touchdown gave them the lead at 29-22. While the Bills battled back and tied the game 29-29 after giving up a score, they eventually fell. The fourth down stop was one of the turning points of the contest.

Goodell cited that of the Chiefs’ 15 victories in the regular season, 11 were within one score. Goodell said that shows “about the competitiveness of our game” and the importance of how its officiated.

“If you look at the Chiefs record, which I think is an amazing thing people talk about the competitiveness of our league, the Chiefs with their 15 wins, 11 of those 15 games were within one score,” Goodell said. “And I think that talks about the competitiveness of our game and the importance of how we officiate it but also the competitiveness of how we play it.”

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