Patrick Mahomes delivers blunt response on ‘favorite’ NFL referees

Throughout his career, Patrick Mahomes has done a great job of avoiding controversy. His on-field success speaks for itself, with five Super Bowl appearances in seven years as a starter, his name is already entering discussions with some of the best to ever play the games.

In recent weeks, the Kansas City Chiefs have been accused of favorable calls by NFL referees, sparking controversy and anger among NFL fans. But Mahomes isn't going to fall for the trap: a reporter tried to get under his skin when asking about NFL referees on Super Bowl's media day.

But the quarterback didn't fall for the trap:

"All the refs are great, man. All the refs are great. They do the best they can. Go out there and play the game the right way."

The reporter pushed once again, asking whether there was one referee that he sent a Christmas card to. But Patrick's answer, once again, defused the situation.

"Not that I can remember. I'll talk to some of my teammates to figure it out".

On Super Bowl LIX, Ron Torbert will be the referee, taking on his second Super Bowl. He previously led Super Bowl LVI, when the Los Angeles Rams defeated the Cincinnati Bengals three seasons ago.

Why Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs can make history on Super Bowl LIX

In the 59-year history of the Super Bowl, no team has even won the championship game three times in a row. The closer a team got was in 1990, when the San Francisco 49ers, champions in 1988 and 1989, made it to the conference championship, but were defeated.

Mahomes already won three Super Bowl rings in his career. But the goal in 2024 is clear: becoming the first to three-peat. They won in 2022 by defeating the same Philadelphia Eagles, and in 2023, they won against the San Francisco 49ers.

When the quarterback won the first Super Bowl of his career, in 2019, he also defeated the 49ers.

A curious thing about this game involves Andy Reid, the Chiefs' head coach. He held the same role with the Eagles from 1999 to 2012, but left the team after 14 seasons. He quickly moved to Kansas City and is now coaching the league's most successful team of the decade.