Ravens CB Marlon Humphrey’s bold criticism of Chiefs referees that could cost him thousands
As long as the Chiefs keep winning, the officials will keep getting accused of bias in their favor, as was the case in their AFC title win vs the Bills.
The Kansas City Chiefs are heading to the Super Bowl yet again, in search of becoming the first NFL team to complete a three-peat. They beat a familiar opponent in the AFC Conference Championship, the Buffalo Bills.
It was a close game with a final score of 32-29, so any small thing could end up making a big difference. The Chiefs have been accused all season and throughout the postseason of having officials rule in their favor, and that was still the case in their victory over the Bills.
Ravens star accuses referees of Chiefs bias
The Bills fans were clearly unhappy when referee Clete Blakeman ruled quarterback Patrick Mahomes’ pass to wide receiver Xavier Worthy a catch after the ball hit the ground. But they weren’t the only ones to voice their criticisms of the officials.
Even though this ball CLEARLY hit the ground and neither player had complete possession the refs rule that this was a catch by Xavier Worthy.
— Dov Kleiman (@NFL_DovKleiman) January 27, 2025
The Chiefs 🤝 The Refspic.twitter.com/hDMOoLq6xt
Ravens cornerback Marlon Humphrey joined the Bills fans in accusing the refs of Chiefs bias. With 13 minutes left in the game, the Bills had the lead at 22-21. At 4th and inches, Bills quarterback Josh Allen pushed forward, but was sent back again by Chiefs linebacker Nick Bolton. The referees ruled it short, and upheld the ruling even after immediate review, enraging fans and players alike.
My takeaway from this Josh Allen 4th down controversy is that JT was short. https://t.co/cmyiEfKZBe
— Wolverine-D 🇺🇸🦅 〽️🏈🏆 (@StreetcrScholar) January 27, 2025
The call, which was criticized as “an absolutely horrible” call by former NFL quarterback Dan Orlovsky, resulted in a turnover and ensuing Chiefs score, changing the whole trajectory of the game.
Humphrey also critiqued the call, posting this comment to X: “They lowkey did rob the Bills from the 4th down conversion. Josh definitely crossed the line.”
They lowkey did rob the Bills from the 4th down conversion. Josh definitely crossed the line
— marlonhumphrey.eth (@marlon_humphrey) January 27, 2025
The Ravens cornerback has beef with the Chiefs, once calling Mahomes a “chubby fast dude” on his podcast, and saying he’s “amazed when he’s outrunning people”. He’s also said, unsurprisingly, that he’ll be rooting for the Philadelphia Eagles in Super Bowl LIX.
Humphrey risked a huge fine from the NFL with his comment on the Chiefs referees. During this season, Humphrey was already fined $90,041 for four different violations, the largest of which was a $45,020 fine for an unnecessary roughness penalty against Josh Allen in their Divisional game.
The NFL fined #Ravens CB Marlon Humphrey $45,020 for unnecessary roughness (use of the helmet) — this hit on #Bills QB Josh Allen last week. No flag was thrown. pic.twitter.com/6UZTY95kcC
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) January 25, 2025
Houston Texans defensive end Will Anderson Jr. was recently fined $25,000 by the NFL for publicly criticizing referees (not coincidentally in their Divisional game against the Chiefs). The NFL has not yet fined Humphrey, but it seems likely that they will do so within a few days.
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