The NFL penalizes Andy Reid and Patrick Mahomes for their remarks criticizing the officiating.
The NFL fined Chiefs coach Andy Reid and quarterback Patrick Mahomes for their critiques of officiating following Sunday’s loss to the Bills, illustrating that exercising free speech in the league comes at a cost.
Mahomes expressed frustration post-game, particularly regarding a crucial offensive offside call nullifying a potential game-changing touchdown play by Travis Kelce. He emphasized the desire for on-field actions to determine game outcomes and criticized the frequent focus on officiating errors in weekly discussions. Reid also voiced his disappointment, mentioning the absence of a warning before the pivotal call and labeling the incident as embarrassing for the NFL.
The play in question involved Kadarius Toney being noticeably offside. Although the primary contention could be the officials’ delayed action despite the consistent offside positioning throughout the game, ultimately confirming the violation. Despite Mahomes not attacking the officials’ integrity, both he and Reid received fines from the league.
Clarification on the specific standards prompting fines for coaches and players has been requested from the league. Previously, the NFL had stated that fines for players occur when their comments undermine the officials’ integrity, a criterion Mahomes seemingly did not meet.
