Some of football’s biggest names directly addressed conspiracy theories claiming referees’ favorable calls toward the Kansas City Chiefs are part of a concerted effort to see Pat Mahomes’ team win.

In an interview Monday, former 49ers wide receiver and Hall of Famer Terrell Owens accused referees of ignoring calls against the Chiefs and pursuing calls against their opponents. He called the favoritism “blatant.”

“I wouldn’t bet against the Chiefs. Like I said, and with the refs, with all the calls. … I played the game and I watched the game and I’m looking at all these calls that’s benefitting the Kansas City Chiefs,” Owens said.

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell responded to media questions about game officials favoring the Chiefs. While calling the theories “ridiculous,” he went on to say the NFL needs to always work on improving its officiating.

“I think it reflects a lot of the fans’ passion and it’s also a reminder for us of how important officiating is,” Goodell said. “I think the men and women that officiate in the NFL are outstanding. They have the highest possible standards. That’s a ridiculous theory for anyone who might take it seriously.”

“That’s a ridiculous theory — for anyone who might take it seriously. But at the end of the day, it’s something we always have to continue to work on: How do we make our officiating better?”

– Roger Goodell when asked about public perception that referees are favoring the Chiefs pic.twitter.com/uA2YX7FE7s

— NFL on CBS 🏈 (@NFLonCBS) February 3, 2025

Related Story: Will You Boycott Super Bowl Because of Alleged Referee Favoritism for Chiefs?

Owens Calls Out ‘Blatant’ Favorable Calls

The Chiefs and Mahomes aren’t the first to be accused of cheating. During quarterback Tom Brady’s record-breaking stint with the New England Patriots, similar accusations made their way through social media.

Chiefs’ Tight End Travis Kelce turned the tables on media questions, asking why they would fuel rumors.

Travis Kelce on if he could ask the media one question:

“Why are you guys leaning into this whole ref thing?” pic.twitter.com/pLF8qf5AR6

— FOX Sports: NFL (@NFLonFOX) February 4, 2025

“If I could ask the media one question — why are you guys leaning into this whole ref thing?” Kelce said during a news conference.

Owens criticized a third-down call in the second quarter of the Chiefs’ divisional playoff game against the Houston Texans. A personal foul call against the Texans resulted in a 15-yard penalty and a fresh set of downs. Owens said it changed the momentum of the game.

Owens also called out a lack of calls against the Chiefs, especially for holding.

“You can even go back to the last couple of Super Bowls even when the Niners played the Superbowl, look at all the holding calls, look at the tape, they were getting clotheslined, and they were not calling it,” Owens said. “It is blatant.”

Others on social media brought up questionable calls during the Chiefs’ game against the Buffalo Bills.

Ref Accusations Remind of Goodell of a Football ‘Script’

Some X users attributed the widespread legalization of sports gambling as an incentive to cheat. Major League Baseball on Monday fired umpire Pat Hoberg for sharing a sports gambling account with a professional poker player, the Wall Street Journal reported.

Over three years, Hoberg bet more than $700,000. MLB did not find evidence Hoberg bet on baseball games or manipulated the results, but the person with whom he shared login credentials did bet on the sport.

Baseball commissioner Rob Manfred said it created “at minimum the appearance of impropriety that warrants imposing the most severe discipline.”

Other football fans questioned conspiracy theory claims, citing the Chiefs’ prowess on the field. Under Mahomes, the team has gone to seven AFC championships, winning all but two.

Other X users questioned why refs would choose to favor Kansas City, which is a smaller market, as opposed to teams in larger markets. And, with thousands of employees in the NFL, keeping a conspiracy theory quiet would be quite a task.

“This sort of thing reminds me of the script — that I write a script, and I have the script for the entire season,” Goodell said. “A lot of those theories are things that happen in social media, and they gain a new life…it’s not your theory but it’s out there. Nobody wants it to be their theory and so, I understand it.

Holy Sh*t: The legendary Terrell Owens says the NFL is RIGGED/SCRIPTED for Patrick Mahomes and the #Chiefs to win:

“It’s blatant and obvious…And I never thought I would say games are rigged…It’s unreal the amount of calls the Chiefs get.”

😳😳😳 pic.twitter.com/ebEDlUIAPe

— Dov Kleiman (@NFL_DovKleiman) February 3, 2025