Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes and head coach Andy Reid are now paying the hefty price for calling out NFL officials following their controversial loss to the Buffalo Bills. The two made their issues with the referees very clear to the public after the matchup, which has led to severe criticism. Now, the league has handed down huge fines for Mahomes and Reid following their comments.
Andy Reid has been fined $100,000 – for violating long-standing league rules prohibiting public criticism of game officials.
Patrick Mahomes has been fined $50,000 – for unsportsmanlike conduct during the fourth quarter of Sunday’s game against Buffalo and for violating…
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) December 16, 2023
Kansas City Chiefs Fines
The NFL has fined Mahomes $50,000 for unsportsmanlike conduct for abusive, threatening, or insulting language to officials, plus violating long-standing league rules prohibiting public criticism of refs. Reid was fined $100,000 for violating long-standing league rules prohibiting public criticism of game officials. These fines are the largest the league has given out this season, and it has caused many NFL fans to question the league’s rules.
The incident happened in last week’s game where the Chiefs took a heartbreaking loss to the Bills, specifically in the fourth quarter when a potential game-winning touchdown was called back for offensive offsides on wide receiver Kadarius Toney. Mahomes was visibly frustrated with the officials and even had to be held back by Chiefs staff members from escalating the situation even further.
Andy Reid Comments
Reid received a hefty fine from the league for calling out the official in the postgame press conference where he told reporters that he was “disappointed” in the officiating crew for the call.
Very disappointed that it ended up the way it did. Normally I’ll get– I never use any of this as excuses, but normally I get a warning before something like that happens in a big game. [It’s] a bit embarrassing in the National Football League for that to take place… I’ve been in the league a long time and I haven’t had one like that that. So, not where, at least in that kind of position there where it is not given a heads up to.
This seems a little ridiculous in my opinion
— LeatherBrainz (@leatherbrainz) December 16, 2023
This is literally a violation of the first amendment, which prohibits businesses from punishing speech
— Three Year Letterman (@3YearLetterman) December 16, 2023
pathetic rule that needs to be changed
— BTC117🏴 (@PWCR13) December 16, 2023
They might as well fine players for being alive at this point.
— Poll Man💫 (@yoelitiro34) December 16, 2023
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6 Comments
The officials need thicker skin. Patrick should’ve pounder his head in, it’s football, if the officials can’t handle getting hollered at let them stay home on the couch.
Football causes a lot of anger & violent behavior. I’m a KC fan, but they both lost their tempers. It is very rare. It is NOT appropriate to flip the offical the Bird. Pound his head? He will get kicked off the team , like their old RB Kareem Hunt? Kaching$$$ -not.
Amen!!
If the tables would have been turn and the Bills would have won with the same play. I can guarantee Mahomes would have been screaming that the receivers were offsides. I’ve been a chiefs fan for fifty plus years and a reid fan for years long before he came to KC. They were wrong in the way they acted and I don’t think the fines were high enough. MaHomey should have a one game suspension.
Three Year Letterman’s remark on X:
“This is literally a violation of the first amendment, which prohibits businesses from punishing speech.”
Is absolutely wrong. This is usually guaranteed applicable, as most of the Bill of Rights, is to the government. Otherwise, it is iffy.
According to the Amer. Bar Assoc.: The free speech rights of employees depend on whether they work for a public or private employer (Reid and Mahomes are definitely privately employed by the NFL), the state in which they work (while one could say they work in MO, the NFL’s hq is in CA), applicable federal and state statutes and whether they are protected by a union. (Reid may fall under Union protection while Mahomes is most definitely covered by the Players Union, though they may or may not fight this fine. Pick your battles.)
Federal labor laws protect an employee’s right to engage in “protected concerted activities” — interpreted to include an employee who speaks to another seeking to enlist support on a matter of shared employee concern, such as working conditions (and creating a workers’ union). Communication, including speech, can be face-to-face or electronic, including social media. Also, many federal and state statutes contain anti-retaliation provisions protecting speech related to alleged violations of those laws. But free-speech protections do not necessarily extend to venting and other actions that could be viewed as insubordination or that create a hostile work environment among colleagues. (This last sentence can be seen as where Mahomes and Reid went wrong.)
I agree that the both of them should have not spoken out, After the play was over and it was shown on the big screen at the stadium Tony was clearly off sides. It sucks. I have been a KC fan for 26 Yrs. I do think that the refs are protected to much. Everyone but the players and coaches can say whatever about the officials. If they make a bad call then own up to it and come out publicly and say sorry. Officials should be held accountable for there actions. I suggest that if they make a bad call or don’t flag very obvious call then they should be fined as well.