The Chiefs don’t need any more help than they already have. The back-to-back defending Super Bowl champions entered Week 10 as the only perfect club remaining, owning an 8-0 record heading into Sunday’s contest against the Broncos. But it can never hurt to ask for a little assistance, and that was the case for QB Patrick Mahomes and Kansas City on Sunday.
The CBS broadcast of the Chiefs-Broncos AFC West clash picked up a question from the superstar quarterback seemingly in the direction of an official. The footage quickly began to make the rounds on social media, as fans immediately began the speculation that the officials were favoring Kansas City. What did Mahomes say? Here’s more on the video during the Chiefs-Broncos game.
What did Patrick Mahomes say?
During the second quarter of the Chiefs-Broncos game on Sunday, the CBS broadcast picked up Mahomes asking someone to “let (him) know if he’s close.”
“Can you let me know if he’s close?”
Patrick Mahomes to a referee during first half of Chiefs-Broncos 👀pic.twitter.com/T6R7Wr6a02
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) November 10, 2024
From the footage, it’s not clear to whom exactly the quarterback is talking. However, the CBS broadcast duo of Kevin Harlan and Trent Green said that Mahomes’ comment was in the direction of one of the officials.
Social media immediately jumped to the conclusion that Mahomes was asking the referees to let him know if a defender was closing in on him. Of course, that is not the job of an official, and no referee would ever communicate that to a quarterback in the midst of a player.
Instead, Mahomes likely was asking about the positioning of his lineman. There was a flag on the play for an illegal formation on Kansas City tackle Jawann Taylor, and it’s not uncommon for quarterbacks or teams to ask the officials for a warning ahead of time if a player is lined up in a position that is deemed offside.
It’s not the first time the Chiefs have asked for clarity on offensive lineman. Last year, when a would-be go-ahead Kadarius Toney touchdown was wiped out in a Chiefs’ loss to the Bills due to an illegal formation call, Kansas City expressed its displeasure over the officials failing to give them a heads up. Instead, a flag was thrown on the play on Toney for offside, and the touchdown was taken off the board.
“Normally I get a warning before that’s called,” Chiefs head coach Andy Reid said at the time of the Toney incident. “A bit embarrassing for the National Football League for that to take place.” Referee Carl Cheffers explained how the officials were right to make the call on the play, and he also pointed out that while officials may give teams warnings, officials aren’t required to issue one, especially if the foul in question is considered to be “egregious.”
If it’s egregious enough, it would be beyond a warning. So really regardless of whether or not he was warned at other times during the day, if it was an egregious alignment to where he was over the ball — whether he had warnings or not — it would still be a foul.
That is likely why Mahomes went over to the official and asked if they would let him know whether or not his linemen are close to positioning offside. It’s something that likely happens every game with every team, but since it’s Mahomes and the Chiefs, and it was picked up on hot mics, the moment will get plenty of attention — especially as Kansas City went on to win, 16-14, to keep its perfect season alive.
