In New Orleans, the leader of the union for NFL referees has strongly dismissed claims suggesting that officiating teams show bias towards the Kansas City Chiefs or any other franchise. Scott Green, executive director of the NFL Referees Association, expressed his gratitude to Commissioner Roger Goodell for rejecting these allegations and addressing the speculations circulating on social media regarding favoritism towards the Chiefs.

In a statement released on Tuesday, Green echoed the commissioner’s viewpoint, labeling the idea that officiating crews would favor a single team as “ridiculous.” He emphasized that officiating teams are randomized and do not officiate a single team more than twice throughout a regular season. “It is both insulting and preposterous to suggest that the 17 officiating crews made up of 138 officials are colluding to support one specific team,” he stated.

Recent high-profile calls in crucial playoff games that have led to Kansas City benefiting have contributed to the widespread conspiracy theories surrounding this issue. Notable moments included penalties against the Houston Texans for illegal hits on quarterback Patrick Mahomes during the divisional round, and a contentious fourth-and-1 play where Josh Allen was ruled just short during Buffalo’s confrontation with Kansas City in the AFC championship game.

However, a comprehensive review of penalties indicates there is no systemic bias at play. Since the beginning of the 2022 playoffs, the Chiefs have actually incurred 120 more penalty yards than their opponents in both the regular season and playoffs. Furthermore, they have received 10 fewer first downs by penalty on critical third or fourth down situations during this timeframe and have shown only a marginal advantage in penalty-yard differential in high-stakes moments like the fourth quarter or overtime of closely contested games.

Green noted that while there are many factors that fans might focus on throughout the lengthy 17-game season—such as coaching strategies, player injuries, weather conditions, and even disputed calls stemming from remarkable plays by elite athletes—there is assurance in the integrity of officiating. He stated, “You can be confident that on every single down, NFL officials, whether on the field or in the replay booth, are making every effort to officiate each play as accurately as possible.”