Chiefs Kingdom has gotten used to plenty in the last decade: their QB dominating, visits to the playoffs and Super Bowls. But if there was one thing it forced them to deal with, it was accusations. Discussions of referee bias and calls going in their favor kept coming up. As we leave Week 4, things have come to a head. And a little ways down the season, there’s an unfortunate reality that comes to light, not just for the team owners but for fans and players too. 

Tavia Hunt, wife of Kansas City Chiefs owner Clark Hunt, has once again pushed back on the idea that NFL officials favor Kansas City. 

She put up an post on her Instagram story showing side-by-side images with the caption, “Chris Jones held in the end zone,” showing a play where Kansas City’s star defensive tackle appeared to be held without a flag being thrown. Hunt shared the post and made her feelings clear in the caption.

“So sick of the past narrative that the Chiefs get all the calls,” Hunt wrote on her Instagram story. “Stats don’t lie, and neither does film — so I’m leaving this here.”

Hunt has made this point on Instagram several times, pushing back on claims that the Chiefs get favorable treatment from officials. She has also used statistics in some of those posts to back up her statement. For instance, in January 2025, she said: “They love to credit the refs with our wins. But look at the actual facts.”

This time, the moment Tavia shared happened late in the Chiefs’ Week 4 game against the Las Vegas Raiders, with Cousins backed up against their own end zone. Two players appeared to hold Jones back. And the debatable calls didn’t end there. 

With less than a minute left on the clock, a pass made its way to Tre Tucker, who barely made the catch. On the replay, it appeared that the ball had gone to the ground first, and initially, referees ruled it a completion. The Raiders quickly took the snap, making it impossible for officials to go back and rule on the drop. 

Even then, the Chiefs held on for the win, with just three points separating the two teams. But the question is: why would Tavia bring it up now? After all, Kansas City has faced accusations for years that officials regularly make calls that benefit the team. 

Her husband, Clark Hunt, was even once asked if the team’s Super Bowl runs were influenced by referee bias. He was quick to laugh it off, saying, “You almost have to laugh at it. There’s definitely no conspiracy, right? It’s the nature of the game. And when you start having a lot of success, people like to start making excuses for why you’re having the success.” 

The answer might be Week 3, when Patrick Mahomes was tackled by Chop Robinson in the third quarter of the Chiefs’ win over Miami. Robinson appeared to take Mahomes to the ground after the ball had been released, with a roughing the passer call being made. Even though a defensive holding call on the same play would have automatically resulted in a first down, the roughing penalty gave an additional 15 yards. 

But the gain itself wasn’t the problem. It was what some thought happened before that moment. 

Former NFL quarterback Chase Daniel pointed to the referee in the buildup to the hit, going as far as to suggest, “Watch this ref. Let’s see how quickly he pulls the flag out. So that’s a little bit—that’s a little bit weird. Already going to it. Already going to it, right? He’s pulling for it already. That’s crazy. Like, the flag is out before he even finishes the act.” 

Former linebacker Seth Joyner added to that, saying, “This is such a bag look for the @NFL & @NFLOfficiating This adds fuel to the conspiracy theories! 👀👀SMDH.”

And this wouldn’t be the first time the Chiefs have been accused of having referees biased toward them. Just last year, The Independent wrote of a study that supported said bias, writing, “In an analysis of more than 13,000 penalty calls spanning from 2015 to 2023, they found that postseason officiating has disproportionately favored the Mahomes–era Kansas City Chiefs.” 

Is that still the case? All it takes is to look at the numbers. This season, the Chiefs have already lost 255, putting them in the middle of the table for penalties, while gaining the third-lowest yards from opponents getting hit with penalties, with 176 yards gained. But these numbers won’t be enough to settle the discussion. 

As the team returns to winning ways over a year after crashing out of the Super Bowl and then missing the playoffs, they’re looking more and more like the team that dominated the NFL. That could inevitably lead to more of such accusations emerging for the team, and it’s likely the players know that too. 

That’s because when Patrick Mahomes was asked about that same hit, he gave a measured response. “He got me for sure pretty good. But that’s part of playing football. They brought a good stunt with the D-line. I try to get the ball in my hands. When you throw the ball, you’re kind of exposed.”