The Kansas City Chiefs’ opening win of the season was engulfed in speculation with refereeing conspiracy theories already surrounding Andy Reid’s team. 

Travis Kelce, Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs kickstarted their 2026 season with a dominant victory over their AFC West divisional rivals, the Denver Broncos. 

However, the Chiefs, who are looking to return to the Super Bowl this year after a miserable 2025 season saw them miss out on the playoffs for the first time since 2014, were marred in controversy after just one game.  

After getting an interception on Bo Nix, the team strung together a clinical drive down the field thanks to the help of new addition, Super Bowl champion Kenneth Walker III. 

Mahomes, returning from a brutal knee injury, led the charge before bursting into the end zone for the Chiefs’ first touchdown. 

However, on the touchdown rush by the two-time MVP, NFL analysts and fans alike claimed that the officials missed a holding call from Kelce. 

The Kansas City Chiefs’ opening win of the season was engulfed in ‘rigged’ speculation

Travis Kelce, Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs kickstarted their 2026 season with a win

The alleged missed call sparked outrage on social media with many claiming the referees were biased towards Kansas City. 

‘Refs not calling holding on Neph (Kelce) is crazy,’ former NFL tight end Shannon Sharpe wrote on X.

‘Refs gave Kelce a little belated wedding present not calling that hold,’ posted Skip Bayless, referring to the tight end’s wedding to Taylor Swift this summer. 

One fan shared: ‘Refs gonna miss a clear hold from Kelce. NFL’s golden girls.’ 

‘Refs helping Mahomes. We can now officially say that football is back,’ claimed another. 

‘The amount of holding they let Chiefs get away with is mind boggling,’ said a third. 

‘death, taxes, and the chiefs not being called for holding,’ bemoaned a fourth. 

‘@NFL refs always helping the chiefs. So many no holding calls against kc,’ alleged another. 

Taylor Swift (center) sat alongside Hollywood A-lister Tom Cruise to watch the Week 1 game

Fans and analysts alike claim that the referees missed a call on Kelce in the first quarter

It was not the first time that the Chiefs have found themselves at the center of ‘rigged’ claims from NFL fans. 

Fans were left furious after the Houston Texans were penalized for what many felt were soft fouls on Mahomes in the playoffs in January 2025. 

Stephen A. Smith even went as far as to claim that Swift, who was then dating Kelce, and her star power were influencing officials’ decisions. 

‘Now here’s where the controversy comes in, and it’s uncomfortable but we’re gonna say it because it’s First Take,’ the ESPN analyst said at the time. 

‘We’re gonna bring up the popularity of Patrick Mahomes because of his greatness, we’re gonna bring up the fact that he has box-office appeal. We’re gonna bring up the fact that Taylor Swift being a Chiefs fan and the lady of Travis Kelce doesn’t hurt.

‘That’s not to say the officials go out there and are intentionally doing this stuff, but it ain’t like the audience, for the opposition especially, doesn’t have a reason to look at some of those things and say, “What the hell is going on here?”‘

There is, of course, no evidence to suggest that the league and its officials have rigged games in the Chiefs’ favor at any point.