Chiefs were called for one of the most unusual penalties in the NFL on Sunday
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Officials flagged Chiefs for a rare block-in-the-back on a Broncos punt return
- CBS analysts and officials conferred before ruling the penalty on Kansas City
- The flagged play negated Marvin Mims’ 70-yard return and shifted game momentum
If you’ve never seen this before in an NFL game, you’re not alone.
But during the Chiefs’ game Sunday against the Denver Broncos at Empower Field at Mile High, Kansas City was flagged on a punt return.
After the Chiefs opening drive yielded just one first down, they punted and the Broncos’ Marvin Mims ripped off a 70-yard return that had Denver fans thrilled. But then they noticed the flag near where Mims had fielded the ball.
The CBS Sports broadcasters thought Mims’ return would be nullified by a penalty, and if you watch enough football, you’ve seen return teams regularly get called for a block in the back.
But the officials huddled to discuss what had occurred, and CBS analyst Tony Romo said that was a good sign for the Broncos.
Romo was right.
It was a block in the back, but the call was on the Chiefs’ Kevin Knowles not on the Broncos. CBS Sports rule analyst Gene Steratore noted: “Very rarely do you see that called.”
Indeed. Numerous fans on X were surprised to see the call. It was another example of how the chatter about the Chiefs getting all the calls from game officials is a myth.
Here is that rare play.
This is just a bit of what people watching the game said on X.
This story was originally published November 16, 2025 at 4:20 PM.
