Troy Aikman rips apart referees for egregious calls to protect Patrick Mahomes

It's pretty rare when NFL fans agree with Troy Aikman, but during his ESPN call Saturday of the Kansas City Chiefs' playoff game against the Houston Texans there were many angry fans finding themselves on the same side as the former Dallas Cowboys star.

Often times it's hard for commentators to find a balance between remaining partial and protecting the product they're covering for their network, but Aikman certainly wasn't afraid to call out the officiating during the Chiefs' Divisional Round game when they made several critical calls involving Patrick Mahomes.

It started in the first quarter when Mahomes was knocked down briefly following releasing the ball and the Chiefs earned a roughing the passer call that kept their drive going on third down.

Aikman started out tame with his assessment.

ESPN rules analyst Russell Yurk: "It looked like that first contact was to the upper chest area. I didn't see anything there that supported a foul."

Troy Aikman: "I agree with you, Russell. From that angle there, I don't see helmet-to-helmet... A big-time penalty." #NFL pic.twitter.com/xt2nmDPqfg
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) January 18, 2025

Then, the former Super Bowl winner began to grow more frustrated with the referees as the game wore on, particularly in the second half when Mahomes was seemingly bailed out on a play that broke down and he ran short of a first down.

Two Houston defenders ended up colliding after Mahomes slid late, but the Texans were given a personal foul for a late hit on Mahomes despite appearing not to make contact with the Chiefs quarterback.

"Oh, come on! I mean, he's a runner. I could not disagree with that one more. He barely gets hit." - Troy Aikman

"The two Houston players hit each other. That should not have been a foul." - Russell Yurk

"They've gotta address it in the offseason..." - Aikman 🏈🎙️🦓 #NFL https://t.co/vXj2v7VTKg pic.twitter.com/QioQ5IQwhg
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) January 18, 2025

Aikman certainly was not a fan of this call and even went as far as to say that the NFL needs to "address it in the offseason."

Despite outcries from the ESPN broadcaster and many others across social media, the Chiefs continue to win and will now advance to the AFC Championship Game to face either the Buffalo Bills or Baltimore Ravens.

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