ESPN’s Adam Schefter infuriates Chiefs fans and an ex-player for messages about penalties
This was the proverbial cherry on top of a frustrating week for Chiefs fans.
Since the Chiefs’ 23-14 win last weekend over the Houston Texans in an AFC Divisional playoff game, some NFL pundits — and many, many fans of other teams — have been sharing a narrative that NFL referees favor Kansas City.
Talk of the Chiefs’ AFC Championship Game meeting with the Bills, and KC’s attempt to record the first Super Bowl three-peat, has been secondary to chatter about the games being fixed in favor of the Chiefs.
On Saturday, ESPN’s Adam Schefter added fuel to the fire when he shared a story about the NFL planning to include quarterback slides in expanded replay assist next season.
That MAY seem innocuous, but when sharing a link to the story on X, Schefter wrote: “For all those complaining that Patrick Mahomes gets too many calls, relief soon could be on the way. NFL replay assist is expected to expand this offseason into plays that could include the quarterback slide, league sources told ESPN.”
Schefter later then included video of Mahomes’ rush against the Texans and wrote: “This is the kind of play that, starting next season, could be included in NFL replay assist.”
On Sunday, Schefter wrote this on X: “NFL replay assist is expected to expand this offseason into plays that could include the quarterback slide. Replay assist came into question last Saturday, when Patrick Mahomes scrambled, slid beneath two Texans’ defenders and still drew a 15-yard penalty on Houston.”
Chiefs fans were not pleased, for many reasons. The biggest might have been this: the NFL said the roughing penalties on the Texans for hits on Mahomes were correctly called. And Cowboys star Micah Parsons said the hit when Mahomes slid after rushing is always called.
Heck, a former Denver Broncos star called on fans to stop hating on the Chiefs about the penalties.
Schefter didn’t stop there as he shared unnecessary roughness and roughing the passer stats that favor the Chiefs during their eight-game playoff winning streak.
Former Chiefs star speaks out
Fox Sports’ Nick Wright, a self-professed Chiefs fan who grew up in Kansas City, called out Schefter on X.
“And, according to that very same league, the NFL itself, this penalty, and the previous one would’ve been upheld,” Wright wrote on X.
“Of course, Adam knows this, but the NFL media decided that the story of the week shouldn’t be KC trying to be the greatest team ever OR Josh trying to finally have his crowning achievement, it’s bitching & moaning about 2 borderline calls that the league said were called correctly.
“It’s truly unbelievable how this week has been hijacked.”
Wright later added this: “I get why the anonymous account are feeding this: They get paid off of engagement & that’s their hustle. But for@AdamSchefter, who makes *9M a year*, feed into this on arguably the single best day of football of the year, just to satisfy the algorithm, is a disservice to fans.”
Former Chiefs Pro Bowl offensive lineman Mitchell Schwartz also took Schefter to task.
“This is incredibly embarrassing for someone who commands zero respect,” Schwartz wrote. “Almost every one of these the announcers say are clear penalties. The one that they don’t the NFL reviewed it and said it was a penalty.
“It’s insane that someone in the league is pushing this, and/or allowing the most visible person to spew this kind of BS. Maybe the Chiefs are better coached and don’t hit QBs late or in the head/neck. Back in my day teams who got less penalties called were considered better coached. Insane.”
Schwartz added: “The league’s voice with the largest reach is insinuating the league both influences games via refereeing AND favors one team specifically. It’s not a cute little joke. That would be the biggest sports scandal ever, especially with everything being tied to gambling these days.”
Chiefs fans (and at least one Bills supporter) also expressed their displeasure. Here’s a small sample of what they were saying and a look at the penalties Schefter referenced.
