For all those complaining about Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes getting too many calls, relief could soon be on the way.
The NFL’s replay assist is expected to expand this offseason to plays that could include the quarterback slide, league sources told ESPN on Saturday.
The NFL enacted replay assist in 2021 to allow replay officials and designated members of the officiating department to assist with on-field calls in limited game situations.
Replay assist has been used during games when there is clear and obvious video evidence, such as the spot of the ball or a foul, a complete or incomplete pass, and the touch of the ball or line drive.
Beginning in 2024, the league expanded replay assistance to add additional areas where information could be provided when a penalty flag was already on the field, including fouls for hits going out of bounds, fouls for hits to the head of a quarterback and elements. intentional grounding.
Now, additional items could be added this offseason. The replay assist came into question in the third quarter of last weekend’s AFC divisional playoff game, when Mahomes came out of the pocket, slid under two Texans defenders, and still received a 15 penalty. yards on Houston for unnecessary roughness.
“Oh, come on,” ESPN analyst Troy Aikman said during the broadcast when the penalty was called on the play. “I mean, he’s a running back and I couldn’t disagree more with that. He barely takes hits.”
Aikman said the league “has to address it in the offseason.”
“You can’t, as a quarterback, run and play with defenders and then take a penalty,” Aikman said.
The NFL’s competition committee meets during the offseason before voting on rule changes in late March at the league’s annual meeting, which this year will be held in Palm Beach, Florida. Expanding replay assist will be discussed by the competition committee and will likely include quarterback slides.
The belief in the league is that there is no reason not to bring greater objectivity and clarity to a play that fans in the stadium or at home can see.
Texans star pass rusher Will Anderson Jr., who was penalized earlier in last Saturday’s game for roughing the passer, said Houston “knew it was going to be us against the referees before this game.”
Mahomes, however, rejected the idea of the Chiefs receiving favorable treatment from officials.
“I don’t feel that way,” Mahomes said Wednesday as the Chiefs began preparations for Sunday’s AFC Championship Game against the Buffalo Bills. “At the end of the day, the referees are doing everything they can to call the game as fair and as appropriately as possible.
“All you can do is go out and play the game you love as hard as you can and live with the results… I feel like I’ve continued to play and just try to win. And whatever happens, happens.”
