Fans unconvinced with NFL Referees Association's statement on conspiracy theories - "Getting ahead of Super Bowl rigging for Chiefs"

The Kansas City Chiefs have been involved in controversies regarding NFL referees in their past two games. Both in the AFC Divisional Round and the AFC Championship Game, NFL fans were disappointed to see some calls going in favor of Andy Reid's team.

Referees involved in the controversy are nothing new. However, the Chiefs being involved in two straight games raised concerns that they were being favored. Kansas City is aiming to become the first-ever team to win three Super Bowls in a row.

The NFL Referees Association released a statement on Tuesday regarding the controversial calls. The association defended itself, noting that there was no conspiracy to help any specific team and to do a good job for all 32 teams. However, NFL fans were not convinced:

"Just hold a higher standard, have full-time refs, and make accountability more transparent!", asked a fan who supports the Bengals.

"If not a conspiracy, there surely is a systemic quality and accuracy issue plaguing the league, while virtually every game benefits the Chiefs. The data is there, they need to use it to improve", noted a second fan.

"I'm glad they feel insulted. They deserve it", a third fan said.

Chiefs' involved in controversy regarding NFL referees: What happened?

Against the Houston Texans, in the AFC Divisional Round, two huge calls changed the history of the game. Texans fans complained heavily about missed holding calls by the Chiefs' offensive line, while also complaining about a no-call on a hip-drop tackle that became illegal in the 2024 season.

A week later, in the AFC Championship Game against the Buffalo Bills, a crucial fourth-down play was called in favor of Kansas City. Josh Allen tried to sneak the ball in a late fourth down, but referees said the ball did not cross the line. Gene Steratore, former NFL referee and current analyst, disagreed with the call.

Anger was sparked even further after quarterback Patrick Mahomes tried to get another unnecessary roughness call against the Texans in the Divisional Round. Troy Aikman, who was calling the game, called out Mahomes for flopping during the play, stating that he understood why defensive players were frustrated.