In Week 14, when the Kansas City Chiefs faced the Buffalo Bills and lost 17-20, quarterback Patrick Mahomes displayed uncharacteristic frustration.
Known for his usual composure, Mahomes became visibly angry due to an offsides penalty called on wide receiver Kadarius Toney, which resulted in nullifying tight end Travis Kelce’s impressive touchdown pass.
Following the game’s conclusion, Mahomes, while shaking hands with Bills quarterback Josh Allen, couldn’t contain his emotions. Instead of the customary sportsmanlike gesture of saying, “Good game. Stay healthy,” Mahomes exclaimed, “That was the wildest call I’ve ever seen,” expressing his discontent. He walked away in anger, adding, “Terrible call.”
The following day, on December 11, the two-time Super Bowl MVP woke up feeling remorseful. Appearing on The Drive with Carrington Harrison of 610 Sports Radio, Mahomes conveyed a heartfelt message directed at Allen. He stated, “Reacting that way was obviously not acceptable. I deeply care about this game, my teammates, and giving my all to win.” Mahomes acknowledged that such behavior towards officials, or anyone in life, was inappropriate and emphasized the need to maintain better composure.
“I probably regret acting that way, but more than anything, I regret how I treated Josh after the game because he had nothing to do with it.” You can’t do that, man. I was still hot and emotional. It’s not a good example for children who are watching the game. That bothered me more than my presence on the sidelines.”
Patrick Mahomes was Not Surprised At How Angry He Got
Mahomes faced significant criticism for his complaint about the referee’s call, particularly because Toney was indeed offsides, and Mahomes hadn’t consulted the sideline judge about his spot. While acknowledging numerous questionable game-altering calls by referees throughout the season, Mahomes admitted that the penalty on Toney wasn’t one of them.
“It’s challenging when a hard-fought game comes down to moments like that,” Mahomes expressed to Harrison. “Regardless, it’s part of the game. I aim to improve as both a person and a player. This is a lesson I’ll carry forward in my career and strive to handle better if a similar situation arises again.”
When asked by Harrison if he was taken aback by his level of anger, Mahomes responded, “Not really. It was a crucial play in the game that was nullified due to a penalty. I didn’t receive a satisfactory explanation for it. Obviously, I didn’t have the perspective from the sideline or elsewhere… I sought an explanation but didn’t get one.”
“Seeing it now,” Mahomes continued, “It’s an uncommon occurrence in the NFL. However, it was a penalty… You learn from your errors and strive to handle situations better in the future.” Harrison highlighted that offensive offsides penalties have been rare under head coach Andy Reid’s tenure.
According to the AP, a total of 13 offensive offsides penalties were recorded during the season, with only seven occurring in the past three years.
Leave a Reply