Chiefs President Dismisses Critics Who Say Refs Call Games in Their Favor

Ryan Phillips | Feb 3, 2025

Kansas City Chiefs president Mark Donovan arrives prior to a game against the Cincinnati Bengals at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. / Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images

Kansas City Chiefs president Mark Donovan has dismissed complaints about his franchise getting favorable calls from NFL officials.

While speaking with the NFL Network on Monday, Donovan was asked for his reaction to NFL fans claiming the Chiefs get preferential treatment from officials. He completely brushed off those complaints.

"Every team can complain about calls. Every fan can complain about calls. It’s just a reflection of the passion of those fan bases. It’s actually nice to be on the other side," Donovan said. "You’re winning games because you’re making plays. The officials do a great job of it. It’s a really hard job. If you go back and look statistically, we’ve had a lot of calls go against us too. What we try to do is ignore the noise, play the game, and be successful."

The Chiefs are going to continue attempting to keep the focus on the players, not the officiating. The narrative that Kansas City and Patrick Mahomes get more favorable calls from officials is too widespread to stop. It will continue whether the evidence is there to support it or not.

The Chiefs will enter Super Bowl LIX and face not only the Philadelphia Eagles, but also the narrative that they get favorable calls. We'll see how they hold up against them.

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