Roger Goodell Tries to Put Eagles at Ease Over Refs-Chiefs SB Concerns

After a week off, the Philadelphia Eagles have arrived in New Orleans for Super Bowl LIX. Sunday’s matchup with the Kansas City Chiefs is a highly anticipated rematch of Super Bowl LVII and Philadelphia will look to stop Andy Reid, Patrick Mahomes and the rest of the star-studded dynasty from earning its third straight championship.

But while Sunday’s game has plenty of concerns, there’s one that has the attention of Eagles fans. The conspiracy theory that the NFL is favoring the Chiefs to win through questionable officiating has taken over a lot of the hype leading into Super Bowl week but commissioner Roger Goodell tried to put those fears at ease during his annual press conference on Monday.

Roger Goodell Insists the NFL Isn't Favoring the Chiefs in Super Bowl LIX

Goodell was asked about the public perception that the NFL is rigged in the Chiefs favor on Monday. While he had some fun with the question he also debunked it by mentioning a lot of it is driven by conspiracy theories on social media that aren’t true.

“This reminds me of the script and that I have a script for the entire season,” Goodell said. “I think a lot of those theories are things that happen in social media. I think it reflects a lot on the fans’ passing and a reminder of how important officiating is. …It’s a ridiculous theory for anyone who takes it seriously.”

Goodell also cited how close the Chiefs games have been this year as a reason the NFL conspiracy theories aren’t true.

“11 of the 15 Chiefs’ wins this season were within one score,” Goodell said. “I think that speaks to the competitiveness of our game and how we officiate it.”

The joke that the NFL is rigged isn’t new. Former Houston Texans running back Arian Foster once suggested the league had a script that was delivered on the first day of training camp. While the suggestion is intended to be humorous, others have formed their own conspiracy theories as the Chiefs have marched their way to the Super Bowl.

The spotlight on officiating has burned brighter during the playoffs to the point where Troy Aikman called out the referees for an unnecessary roughness penalty on Mahomes during Kansas City’s divisional round win over the Houston Texans. The following week, Josh Allen was called short on a fourth down sneak when he appeared to cross the line needed for a first down in the fourth quarter of the Chiefs win over the Buffalo Bills in the AFC Championship Game.

The Eagles have also been on the wrong side of the whistle the last time they played the Chiefs in the Super Bowl. James Bradbury was called for a pass interference penalty on JuJu Smith-Schuster with under two minutes to play in that game and it led to Harrison Butker’s game-winning 27-yard field goal to give the Chiefs a 38-35 victory. But even that play was the correct call when NFL Films footage showed Bradbury pulling Smith-Schuster’s jersey.

Still, Eagles fans have a right to be cautious heading into Sunday’s game. While the NFL has denied any wrongdoing, it wouldn’t be a shock if another whistle turned into the latest conspiracy theory and cost Philadelphia its chance at the second Super Bowl win in franchise history.

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