Brittany Mahomes was not willing to stay silent after a costly officiating decision hurt the Kansas City Chiefs, but her criticism has not convinced everyone. Former Cincinnati Bengals star Chad Johnson has offered a very different take on the controversial call that wiped out Patrick Mahomes‘ potential game-winning touchdown against the Denver Broncos. While the Chiefs and their supporters questioned the timing of the flag, Johnson believes the officials had a legitimate reason to throw it. His comments have added another twist to an already heated debate surrounding Kansas City’s narrow defeat.
Chad Johnson disagrees with Brittany Mahomes over controversial Chiefs penalty
The controversy erupted during the Chiefs’ 28-24 loss to the Broncos on November 1. Kansas City had one final opportunity to steal the victory, with Patrick Mahomes leading the offence deep into Denver territory. Facing fourth-and-goal from the one-yard line, the quarterback connected with Rashee Rice for what appeared to be a dramatic winning touchdown.However, the celebrations did not last. Officials called right tackle Jaylon Moore for a false start, cancelling the score and ending Kansas City’s comeback hopes.Brittany Mahomes quickly expressed her frustration on Instagram, questioning the decision that denied her husband a chance to secure the victory. Her reaction attracted attention, particularly because the penalty came during such a crucial moment.But Johnson was not persuaded by the argument that the officials had made a questionable call.Speaking on the ‘Nightcap’ podcast alongside Shannon Sharpe, the former NFL wide receiver watched the replay and gave his assessment.“Brittany Mahomes was not happy, and she posted it…. No bias here. Do you believe? Did he false start?” Sharpe asked.Johnson responded, “I saw the replay. He flinched. That’s a false start.”He also suggested that officials could have shown some restraint given the circumstances, although he did not dispute Moore’s movement.“Now listen, as a referee, what you can do in that situation is you don’t want the game to end like that. You don’t have to call it because it was a minor flinch, but he did flinch. It’s clear as day.”
Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce react to Chiefs’ costly flag
Johnson was not alone in his assessment. Sharpe also defended the ruling, explaining that offensive linemen cannot move once they have settled into their stance.Patrick Mahomes, meanwhile, admitted that he had not reviewed the footage when reporters asked him about the decision.“I have not seen it, but it didn’t surprise me or catch me or anything like that, so it couldn’t have been big, but it was called… I mean, at the end of the day, you have to go with whatever is called, but a lot of times in those big moments, the little stuff doesn’t get called like that.”Andy Reid also acknowledged noticing movement, saying, “I didn’t see it… I saw him move his head.”Interestingly, Travis Kelce shared Johnson’s view during an episode of ‘New Heights’ with his brother Jason.“Yeah, he flinches.”The penalty was particularly costly for Kansas City, which finished the game with 11 flags for 105 yards. The defeat dropped the Chiefs to 5-2, leaving them behind Denver in the AFC West standings. What looked like a potential last-second victory instead became another talking point about officiating, discipline and the fine margins that can decide an NFL game.