Are you sick and tired of hearing about the endless debate over the ‘cheating’ Chiefs? While it’s true that we have seen some controversial calls go there way in the last weeks, pretty much everyone who can’t see through one ear and out the other is ready for a change of topic on the debate shows, and thankfully it might be here.

According to league sources at ESPN, NFL replay assist is expected to expand this offseason into plays that could include the quarterback slide.

This change would see the range of uses for the technology increased, with current limits lifted in order to make things easier for referees in high-pressure situations.

What is replay assist in NFL?

The NFL brought in replay assist back in 2021 in a move that allowed replay officials and selected members of the refereeing department to have their say when it comes to on-field calls - in certain game situations.

At present, replay assist is used during games when there is clear and obvious video evidence, such as a foul, a complete or incomplete pass, and touching of the ball or a line.

Last year, replay assist was expanded to other areas, including fouls for hits heading out of bounds and fouls for blows to the head.

And it was last weekend when the question of replay assist came into view once again. As Mahomes was fighting hard during the Chiefs' AFC divisional playoff game against the Texans, he slid beneath two defenders, but not before getting the call for a 15-yard penalty for unnecessary roughness that raised eyebrows across the world.

‘Texans vs Refs’ says Houston star

Texans player Will Anderson Jr raged to the media in the aftermath of the calls that changed the game, calling it “Texans vs Refs”. NFL commentator Rich Eisen claimed the decisions were “unacceptable”, and offered the solution that “every 15 yard penalty that is called should be reviewed by replay while the officials are calling it and getting a conference together on the field to discuss it. That’s enough time for replay assist the to look at it to tell them pick the flag up, we do not want that penalty called, it should not be called.”

Mahomes himself had his say on the issue: “I don’t feel that way... At the end of the day, the referees are doing their best to call the game as fair and as proper as they possibly can. And all you can do is go out there and play the game that you love as hard as you can and live with the results. I think that’s what we preach here in Kansas City."

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“You get new referees every year, you get new circumstances, and you never can really tell because every play’s different and that’s what makes the NFL so special. I feel like I’ve just continued to play the game, and I just try to win, and whatever happens kind of happens.‘’

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