NFL Makes Surprise Punishment Decision On Controversial Patrick Mahomes Incident
This article was originally published on Total Pro Sports.
Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes drew a pair of questionable “roughing the passer” calls in last week’s overtime victory over the Indianapolis Colts, sparking further backlash and “rigged” accusations from fans.
The Chiefs erased a 20-9 deficit in the fourth quarter and went on to win 23-20 in overtime, though not without controversy. More specifically, Colts stars Grover Stewart and Laiatu Latu were each flagged for head-scratching “roughing the passer” penalties.
Here was the call against Latu:
#KCvsIND Latu gets called for roughing the passer even though he was pulled down, eased up, and the initial hit was above the knees. according to the rules, that is not roughing the passer. pic.twitter.com/iCeZa5ftCg
— Genesis 6:9 (@619lexus) November 23, 2025
And this was the penalty against Stewart, one that Tony Romo openly questioned:
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
If there’s any silver lining for Latu and Stewart, it’s that the NFL decided not to issue a fine to either player for their “roughing the passer’ penalties on Patrick Mahomes. If you check out the weekly update at NFL Gameday Accountability, you’ll see that no Colts players were fined.
Regarding the Colts-Chiefs game, Kansas City cornerback Trent McDuffie and offensive lineman Kingsley Suamataia were fined $11,593 and $8,108 for facemask and blindside block infractions, respectively.
Patrick Mahomes & Chiefs Are On The Ropes Following Thanksgiving Loss To Dallas Cowboys
Last week’s comeback win over the Colts felt like the start of a late-season turnaround by Kansas City. However, the good vibes were quickly squashed with a heartbreaking loss to the Dallas Cowboys on Thanksgiving, despite the Chiefs enjoying plenty of support from their fans at AT&T Stadium.
Now at 6-6, the Chiefs certainly have to win out to have any hope of qualifying for the postseason. Not only that, but they’ll need some outside help with the Buffalo Bills, Jacksonville Jaguars and Los Angeles Chargers all sitting comfortably in playoff spots at identical 7-4 records.
