Patrick Mahomes found himself at the heart of an NFL rules controversy after a pair of questionable plays over two consecutive weeks. In Week 7, the Kansas City Chiefs quarterback executed a savvy move that blurred the line between a legitimate run and a deceptive play. As he sprinted down the sideline against the San Francisco 49ers for a career-long 33-yard run, Mahomes feigned stepping out of bounds, causing 49ers linebacker Dee Winters to ease up to avoid a potential late-hit penalty.
Seizing the opportunity, Mahomes cut back into the field, gaining additional yardage as Winters hesitated.
The situation sparked conversations around how NFL quarterbacks like Mahomes may be leveraging rules intended to protect them.
In Mahomes’ case, he appeared to use the sideline rule—which encourages defenders to avoid contact with players heading out of bounds—to his advantage, similar to Kenny Pickett’s now-infamous fake slide during the 2021 ACC Championship game. That move led to a rule change in college football, where fake slides were subsequently outlawed.
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Fans began calling for a similar rule adjustment in the NFL, noting that Mahomes’ maneuver creates a double standard for defenders. Either they avoid contact and allow the quarterback to gain extra yards, or they risk a penalty if the quarterback truly is stepping out of bounds.
Fast forward to Week 8, where the debate resurfaced during the Chiefs’ game against the Las Vegas Raiders. Raiders defensive end K’Lavon Chaisson was flagged for roughing the passer after making minimal contact with Mahomes in the second half.
While Mahomes did exaggerate his fall, the referee threw the flag, interpreting the play as a late hit. Many fans agreed that the contact was mild, though technically a penalty, but it reignited the conversation over how far quarterbacks—and Mahomes, in particular—benefit from NFL rules meant to ensure their safety.
The comparison between Chaisson’s play and Winters’ situation from the prior week highlighted a key question: where should the line be drawn?
NFL fans pointed out that if Chaisson’s minor bump could be deemed roughing the passer, then Winters could have easily faced harsher consequences had he committed a full tackle on Mahomes during the Week 7 sideline play. This discrepancy leaves defenders in a tough spot, as they must guess whether to pull up and risk allowing extra yards or make contact and risk a penalty.
As Mahomes continues to use his savvy to navigate these split-second decisions, fans and analysts alike are calling for clearer guidelines, wondering if quarterbacks like Mahomes should face new restrictions on fake-outs when running close to the boundary.
For now, defenders remain caught in a tough spot, with the league’s ruleset and refereeing consistently favoring the protection of star quarterbacks, perhaps to the detriment of defensive players tasked with containing them.
