Mahomes was not a happy camper after the Chiefs fell to the Bills on Sunday and unloaded on the refs while still on the field. He continued to criticize them while speaking to reporters after the game.
“It’s tough to swallow. Not only from me, and football in general, to take away greatness like that, for a guy like Travis to make a play like that, you want to see the guys on the field decide the game. They’re human. They make mistakes. But every week, we’re talking about something,” Mahomes told the press.
“It’s the call. Just in that moment. Not for myself. To have a flag change the outcome of the game. I’ve never had offensive offsides called. If it does, they warn you. There wasn’t a warning the entire game. And then you make a call like that in the final minute? Another game, we’re talking about the refs. It’s not what we want for the NFL. It’s not what we want for football.”
Mahomes was angry about Kadarius Toney getting flagged for offside on a play that would have otherwise put the Chiefs up on the scoreboard. The wide receiver lined up incorrectly on the snap and ended up scoring a touchdown that was scratched off.
Complaining about a bad call is hardly new, but many are of the view that Mahomes went overboard. He could end up getting fined for it.
The tirade has earned comparisons to a comment Brady made after wide receiver N’Keal Harry was adjudged to be out of bounds before scoring a touchdown in 2019. Replays suggested that the call was wrong.
When Brady was asked about it, he said, “It is what it is.”
Fans are pointing to the significant difference in reactions.
Of course, Mahomes is a lot younger than Brady was in 2019. They also have vastly different personalities. He’s likely going to learn from this.