I am claiming this is false. People keep saying the NFL is rigging games and especially for the Chiefs, but the I dug deeper into the linked article seeing direct quotes both Roger Goodell and the NFL Referees Association calling that idea ridiculous and out of reality. The union lays out how officials are graded every week on every single play, and those grades decide who works the postseason. They also say crews do not work the same team more than two times in a regular season and that protecting the integrity of the game is the priority. That setup does not look like a system that could quietly steer outcomes for one team.
The numbers in the article do not prove a fix either. Since Patrick Mahomes took over, the Chiefs have had more penalty yards than the opponent in only three of twenty playoff games, and in the last twelve postseason games the opponent had more penalties eleven times with one tie. That is a tilt, but it is not consistent across time. In 2018 the Chiefs actually led the league with 137 flags for 1,152 yards. This past regular season they were flagged 94 times, which was fourth fewest, with 829 yards, which was near the bottom half. The story also lists a few close calls fans still argue about, like the Bosa hold in the 2020 Super Bowl and the Bradberry hold in the 2023 Super Bowl. Bradberry even said he held. These are the kinds of moments that feed the conspiracy talk, not proof of a plan.
As a Chiefs fan, I get why people are mad when a call swings a big game. I have been on the other side of those too. But the article gives me official denials, weekly grading, crew rotation, and a mix of penalty numbers plus a few controversial plays. That reads like normal football life with close calls, not a grand plot. From this source alone, the rigged claim is not supported.
https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/nfl-referees-forced-respond-kansas-city-chiefs-conspiracy-theories-bia-rcna190774
