Officiating Proposal, Replacement Officials Would Greatly Affect Chiefs

Owners will meet next week as NFL braces for 2012-type situation.

Nov 23, 2025; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Kansas City Chiefs offensive tackle Jawaan Taylor (74) on field against the Indianapolis Colts during the game at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-Imagn Images | Denny Medley-Imagn Images

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Facing second-and-goal from the Colts’ 4-yard line, Andy Reid painted a Mona Lisa.

With Patrick Mahomes lined up as the “dot,” 10 yards behind the ball, Reid aligned Rashee Rice, Travis Kelce and Kareem Hunt in a full-house backfield, parallel with the line. Kelce took the snap, faked a handoff to Hunt and ran through a huge hole off right tackle for his first rushing touchdown in four years.

Nov 23, 2025; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Indianapolis Colts safety Cam Bynum (0) tackles Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce (87) in the first half at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-Imagn Images | Denny Medley-Imagn Images

But wait … the hole was so huge because Jawaan Taylor had briefly wrapped his big bright arm around the neck of Kwity Paye. Officials nullified Kelce’s touchdown not for holding, but for a phantom facemask. Replays showed Taylor never touched Paye’s facemask, but the right tackle’s high-penalty reputation might’ve preceded him.

Then, late in the game with the Chiefs trailing by a field goal, penalties continued to creep in at the worst possible time. Officials nailed Kristian Fulton for holding on a punt return, forcing Kansas City to begin at the Colts’ 6-yard line with 4:43 left. And on the first snap, officials hit Kelce with offensive pass interference.

“This is literally the worst call I’ve seen all year,” said Tony Romo on the CBS broadcast. “You know that happens on every play if you’re pressing the guy.”

Sep 10, 2017; Nashville, TN, USA; CBS analyst Tony Romo makes his way to the announcers booth before the game between the Oakland Raiders and Tennessee Titans at Nissan Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Christopher Hanewinckel-Imagn Images | Christopher Hanewinckel-Imagn Images

Plenty of penalties -- from regular officials

Mahomes wound up masterful when Kansas City needed him, overcoming that adversity to drive Kansas City 90 yards in 15 plays, setting up Harrison Butker’s game-tying field goal with zeroes on the clock. The Chiefs wound up winning in overtime on another Butker field goal, their last win of the 2025 season.

But they had to overcome several questionable calls to do it. They weren’t alone, either. Referee Alex Moore and his crew fired 20 combined flags at Colts and Chiefs players that day (each team had one declined penalty).

Oct 19, 2025; Glendale, Arizona, USA; NFL referee Alex Moore during the Arizona Cardinals game against the Green Bay Packers at State Farm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

Replacement officials, more league control up for discussion

Now, as NFL owners head to Phoenix for next week’s annual league meeting, consider this: The league is preparing to open the 2026 season with replacement officials. Mired in a stalemate with the NFL Referees Association, the league is looking at a collective bargaining agreement set to expire May 31.

Negotiations are not going well, and that’s an understatement. The NFL Players Association is obviously concerned. Fans should be, too, as both sides stare at a Grand Canyon-sized chasm.

Labor negotiations between the NFL and the NFL Referees Association remain stalled ahead of the expiration of their CBA in May, with the league doing contingency planning for a potential work stoppage and the possible use of replacement officials next season. pic.twitter.com/9NADHLASyp

— MarkMaske (@MarkMaske) March 26, 2026

Those replacement officials wouldn’t come from the group that supplies the Big Ten or SEC. They’d come from the lower levels of college football. Imagine that crew officiating last season’s Colts-Chiefs game.

What’s interesting, however, is the league seems to be capitalizing on the opportunity to give its New York hub, the Art McNally Gameday Central, more control over real-time officiating. And if a proposal passes with the required 24 votes next week, replacement officials overseeing that Colts-Chiefs overtime game would get some help.

Officials indicate opposite rulings, one a touchdown, one incomplete during the Packers 14-12 loss to the Seattle Seahawks in Seattle, Monday, September 24, 2012. | Rick Wood / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Another Fail Mary averted?

In the final two minutes of regulation or overtime, through official-to-official earpieces, league employees would communicate to referees immediate feedback. Should they see clear and obvious video evidence of an uncalled penalty for roughing the passer, intentional grounding or an act that should’ve disqualified an offender, those employees will communicate that and referees could correct the non-calls.

And, should officials throw flags by mistake – according to the proposal’s verbiage, fouls in which at least one element isn’t present – the league could wipe out those penalties. Those include disqualification, illegal contact, roughing the passer, horse-collar tackles, pass interference, intentional grounding or twisting, pulling or turning a facemask.

Aug 22, 2025; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Kansas City Chiefs offensive tackle Jawaan Taylor (74) at the line of scrimmage against the Chicago Bears during the game at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-Imagn Images | Denny Medley-Imagn Images

The good news for the Chiefs, should they choose to re-sign Taylor and restore their 2025 starting offensive line, is that those replacement officials don’t figure to penalize the veteran for his penalty prevalence.