Yahoo Sports NFL reportedly expected to expand replay assist, including for plays like Patrick Mahomes' controversial slide
Broadcaster Troy Aikman said the NFL had to address penalties like the one Patrick Mahomes drew with his controversial slide last weekend. It looks like he's getting his wish.
The league is expected to expand replay assist this offseason into plays that could include the quarterback slide, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter.
Replay assist, in which remote officials help with on-field calls, was instituted before the 2021 season and expanded before the season to cover situations such as fouls for hits in players heading out of bounds, blows to the quarterback's heads and intentional grounding. This would add the quarterback slide to the mix, and Mahomes provided quite an impetus during the divisional round against the Houston Texans.
The Kansas City Chiefs quarterback drew headlines when he scrambled, slid and drew contact from two defenders, drawing an unnecessary roughness penalty despite receiving little contact.
Aikman didn't like it, ESPN rules analyst Russell Yurk didn't like it, the NFL's broader fan base didn't like it and the Texans definitely didn't like it.
"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's reaction:
"Oh, come on ... He's a runner. I could not disagree with that one more and he barely gets hit. That's the second penalty now that's been called against the Texans.
"They've got to address it during the offseason. You can't, as a quarterback, run around and play games with the defenders and then be able to draw penalty."
He continued harping on Mahomes attempting to draw a flag later in the drive, which saw the Chiefs score a touchdown in a 23-14 win. Mahomes later said "I probably shouldn't have done that" on a play he was criticized for flopping.
More from Aikman.
"He's trying to draw the penalty. Rather than just run out of bounds, he slows down. And that's been the frustration and I get it. I understand it. That's been the frustration for these defensive players around the league." https://t.co/rzfAXSaz6o pic.twitter.com/LilHhaI2Bh— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) January 18, 2025
As Aikman mentioned, the flag Mahomes drew was one of multiple controversial calls against the Texans that game, continuing a longstanding debate over whether the Chiefs receive favorable treatment from the officials because of Mahomes' status, not unlike Tom Brady before him.
However, while the NFL is saying it might rework how it handles plays like the Mahomes slide, NFL officiating and rules analyst Walt Anderson stood by the actual call this week, saying that because Mahomes' helmet moved on the play, it warranted an unnecessary roughness penalty. However, he also acknowledged there would be "conversations" this offseason over how such penalties are called.
Quarterback slides have become a controversial area of rules in recent years, with Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen also standing as a model for fake slides. Any fan base is going to be infuriated when a quarterback gets an extra 15 yards for middling contact, or a different quarterback fools their defense by exploiting a rule, but the NFL is always going to err on the side of protecting its most valuable position.
Anyway, the Chiefs and Bills are scheduled to kick off the AFC championship game at 6:30 p.m. ET on Sunday.
