The Kansas City Chiefs’ pursuit of a potential Super Bowl three-peat has sparked widespread speculation about whether the NFL favors the two-time defending champions. This discourse has led to noticeable criticism directed at ESPN insider Adam Schefter from Chiefs supporters, who feel he has contributed to perpetuating that narrative.
Recently, on Establish The Run’s podcast, Schefter was asked about the perception that the league is biased towards Kansas City. While he rejected the idea that the league is rigged, he acknowledged that it’s understandable for great players like quarterback Patrick Mahomes to receive some favorable calls. “I would just say that I don’t believe [the league is rigged], despite what other people think. I don’t buy into that,” Schefter stated. “Every great player, over time, gets the benefit of the doubt. Michael Jordan got the benefit of the doubt. LeBron James gets the benefit of the doubt. Tom Brady got the benefit of the doubt. They get the benefit of the doubt because they deserve it.”
Schefter shared a secondhand account of an NBA official telling Michael Jordan, “Don’t worry, I won’t let you foul out,” adding, “Do I think there’s anything blatant like that in the NFL? No. Do I think that when you see a call and you see a great player that you might side in favor of the great player? Perhaps there’s something to that psychologically. But I don’t think it’s rigged or scripted. I believe the Chiefs are one of the most clutch teams in history.”
While the debate around the league being rigged or Kansas City receiving preferential treatment on questionable calls could be viewed as a matter of fine distinctions, such remarks have led Schefter to face backlash from Chiefs fans recently. Notably, he was criticized for a social media post that highlighted the discrepancies in roughing the passer and unnecessary roughness calls involving Kansas City during their eight-game postseason winning streak leading up to the AFC Championship Game.
Penalties during Chiefs’ eight-game win streak in playoffs, via @PaulHembo:
Roughing the passer:
Chiefs (0)
Opponents (6)
Unnecessary roughness:
Chiefs (1)
Opponents (4) https://t.co/PyWZGslCi5
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) January 26, 2025
Among those criticizing Schefter’s post was Fox Sports’ Nick Wright, a dedicated Chiefs fan known for calling out Schefter’s coverage of Kansas City. Although Schefter didn’t mention Wright by name, he appeared to downplay such criticism, calling it engagement bait. “There was zero intent behind it,” Schefter explained regarding his post. “I was quite surprised at the reaction. It was just a factual statement from an ESPN researcher that I topped the story with. People get very touchy about it. They like to use that for engagement elsewhere, but there was zero intent. It is what it is. They’ve earned the benefit of the doubt, and it doesn’t diminish their greatness. That’s the way it is.”
In summary, while Schefter does not think the NFL is rigged, he recognizes that the Chiefs’ excellence contributes to the perception of bias. Despite his insistence that this benefit of the doubt is earned, his comments are unlikely to sway many Chiefs fans, who may prefer to believe that no such bias—real or imaginary—exists at all.
