The NFL is considering making penalties related to quarterback slides reviewable starting in the 2025 season, a move prompted by recent controversial calls. This follows scrutiny of several penalties against Houston Texans players during their divisional-round game against the Kansas City Chiefs.
The NFL appears to be addressing concerns about officiating following a controversial penalty in the Kansas City Chiefs' divisional-round victory over the Houston Texans. According to ESPN, penalties arising from quarterback slides are expected to become reviewable in the 2025 season through the NFL 's replay assist system. Several penalties and plays involving Patrick Mahomes drew scrutiny after the Chiefs' win over the Texans.
The most contentious occurred in the third quarter when Texans linebacker Henry To'oTo'o seemingly collided with Mahomes as he began sliding on a running play. Although Mahomes was a runner and the contact appeared awkward, To'oTo'o was penalized for unnecessary roughness. The Chiefs gained an automatic first down and subsequently scored a touchdown, extending their lead to eight points. This play could be reviewable if the NFL implements replay assist to re-evaluate penalties on quarterback slides.However, other controversial hits on Mahomes wouldn't fall under this review. For instance, the first penalty the Texans received for hitting Mahomes was a roughing the passer call against Will Anderson Jr., who tackled the Chiefs quarterback high after a pass attempt in the first quarter. Another play, occurring on the same drive as the controversial penalty, also involved To'oTo'o. In the fourth quarter, To'oTo'o pushed Mahomes as he ran along the sideline. The Chiefs quarterback appeared to exaggerate the contact, potentially aiming for another unnecessary roughness call. As no penalty was issued, replay assist wouldn't have been necessary. Mahomes acknowledged embellishing the latter hit involving To'oTo'o a few days after the Chiefs' victory. 'I would say the only one I felt like I probably did too much was the one on the sideline where I didn't get the flag,' Mahomes stated on 96.5 The Fan. 'The refs saw it and it didn't get a flag. I understood it immediately and know that I probably shouldn't have done that.'NFL on FOX lead analyst Tom Brady also raised concerns about the penalty To'oTo'o received for his hit on Mahomes in the third quarter, urging the NFL to modify rules concerning quarterbacks during running plays. 'When quarterbacks become running backs and they're out of the pocket, they should lose their protection,' Brady said on 'The Herd.' 'We're trying to protect the quarterbacks, but coaches are calling more quarterback runs than ever in the history of the game. So, who is protecting the quarterback? We're trying to say the referees should do it?' Replay assist has been integrated into NFL games since 2021, enabling expedited reviews to correct obvious on-field decisions. Currently, the spot after a play and whether a pass was completed are among the reviewable plays for replay assist. Beginning in the 2024 season, penalties became eligible for review through replay assist, including intentional grounding, late hits out of bounds, and hits high to quarterbacks. The NFL's competition committee will assemble at the annual league meeting scheduled for March 30-April 2
NFL Officiating Replay Assist Quarterback Slides Penalties Controversial Calls Patrick Mahomes Henry To'oto'o Tom Brady
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