Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs are facing an uphill battle against the 8-2 Colts on Sunday afternoon. While Indianapolis continues to prove why it's leading the league in total yards and in points, Mahomes's offense is still struggling and trying to find some consistency in the second half of the season.
The Chiefs are down 20-9 against the Colts in the fourth quarter and desperately looking to get their first touchdown on the board, after seeing one get taken away due to Jawaan Taylor's questionable facemask penalty.
While one could argue that the era of the Chiefs getting preferential treatment from the refs is over, one could also point to another soft roughing the passer call on Mahomes that had NFL fans pretty outraged.
Late in the second quarter, Mahomes threw an incomplete pass to Robert Tonyan but got hit by Colts defensive tackle Grove Stewart shortly after releasing the ball. The refs penalized Stewart with a roughing the passer penalty to give the Chiefs a free 15 yards.
CBS announcers Jim Nantz and Tony Romo noted on the broadcast that "it's gotta be the weight issue" that led to the refs throwing a flag. "It's the extra stuff, the weight on the bottom," Romo said.
Refs flag the Colts for roughing the passer on this tackle to Mahomes pic.twitter.com/j7bTL4hnoH
— Rate the Refs (@Rate_the_Refs) November 23, 2025
Here's what the NFL rulebook says about a defender putting their weight on a quarterback on a roughing the passer penalty:
"A defensive player must not unnecessarily or violently throw him down or land on top of him with all or most of the defender’s weight. Instead, the defensive player must strive to fall to the side of the quarterback’s body, or to brace his fall with his arms to avoid landing on the quarterback with all or most of his body weight."
Despite the "weight issue" that allegedly led to the roughing call, NFL fans were not happy to see Mahomes seemingly benefit from special treatment and get another soft call in a tight game:
Another week, another insane call for Mahomes…
— Josh Reynolds (@JoshReynolds24) November 23, 2025
What on earth is the defender supposed to do? Give me a break, man lmao
pic.twitter.com/dWtlgF3KQh
It’s another awful roughing the passer call…the defender is in mid tackle & the NFL expects him to contort his body to land off to the side…it’s a form tackle. Common sense just completely out the window in football. https://t.co/LXEc5bpDmX
— Craig Chait (@chaiteraid) November 23, 2025
This might be the worst “roughing the passer” I’ve ever seen. And of course it’s Mahomes that get’s this call🙄 https://t.co/T7UcVMnH7Q
— Depressed Buffalo Sports Fan (@Tommy_Dangles72) November 23, 2025
This league is so soft it’s not even funny anymore https://t.co/TdAWrH7sEi
— Richard (@Htx_richard) November 23, 2025
I’m not saying ANYTHING about the refs, but watching Mahomes after every incompletion is insufferable.
— Jeremy Stevenson (@MyColtsAccount) November 23, 2025
"Josh Allen is the biggest cry baby in the NFL"
— Bobby (@BobbyBoy585) November 23, 2025
*Patrick Mahomes when he gets breathed on*: pic.twitter.com/NdbPbPMXka
That Chris Jones hit on Jones woulda been a roughing the passer on Mahomes btw
— Ati (@atioberoi) November 23, 2025
Just call the game fairly refs
Careful guys, if you touch Mahomes it’s a flag.
— Colts Coverage (@Colts_Coverage) November 23, 2025
Mahomes also drew another roughing the passer penalty later in the game after a Colts defender tackled him low. He currently has just 177 passing yards, no touchdowns and one interception.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Patrick Mahomes Bailed Out by Refs on Softest Roughing the Passer Call vs. Colts.
