NFL fans furious as leaked photo sparks wild Patrick Mahomes conspiracy theories

 

An NFL official and Patrick Mahomes are shown in a leaked photo that has given rise to conspiracy theories.

Fans are certain that the defending Super Bowl champions are receiving preferential treatment from officials after they jumped out to a 3-0 lead to begin the season. In Weeks 2 and 3, the Chiefs were the beneficiaries of borderline penalties, which infuriated NFL fans with their perceived preferential treatment.

Mahomes was seen chatting with a referee during Sunday's game against Atlanta on NBC, which only served to fan the flames.

While talking to the referees pregame is a common practice for players, fans had malicious thoughts about the interaction and let it be known on social media.

Before a game, players frequently speak with officials to find out the referees' names or to find out how the game will be called.

The supporters, however, yelled foul after a string of dubious calls that favored the Chiefs.

With nine seconds remaining in the first half of Week 1, defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo raced down the sideline, giving the Chiefs a timeout that should never have been called. Even though Andy Reid was the only person authorized to call timeouts in that scenario, the stoppage was approved.