Patrick Mahomes Calls for Huge Change to NFL Officiating

Being an NFL official is one of the toughest jobs in all sports. No matter what they do, good or bad, not everybody is going to be happy with their decisions. With that being said, most athletes and fans would just like for officials to be consistent with their calls. Kansas City Chiefs superstar quarterback Patrick Mahomes echoed this sentiment on the WHOOP Podcast this week.

On the podcast, Mahomes suggested the idea that NFL officials use a microchip in the ball to track whether or not it crosses the goal line for a touchdown. The balls already contain a chip that gives the league data, so this would be a twist on an already implemented idea.

Chiefs’ Patrick Mahomes thinks a microchip in footballs would help for goal-line plays https://t.co/cz6l36ZV0c
— The Kansas City Star (@KCStar) May 20, 2021

Sometimes, it can be tough for officials to make calls on goal-line plays, especially if a team is trying to rush the ball into the end zone from just a couple of yards back. Mahomes added that having that many bodies piled on top of each other can obstruct the officials' view, which is where the proposed microchip would come into play.

"The biggest thing to me is when they get in the pile by the end zone, there is literally no way to tell if he’s in the end zone or not. It’s like you said, it’s just whatever they call."
- Patrick Mahomes, Chiefs QB

NBC Sports pointed out one issue with the 2018 NFL MVP's idea. While the microchip would tell officials whether or not the football crossed the goal line, there are other issues that it doesn't solve. For example, it won't help officials know if a player's knee was down first, especially in a group of players. Taking that into account, the officiating staff would still need to make judgment calls which would inevitably draw the ire of fans and players alike. After that, it's back to square one.

While Mahomes' proposal to add new microchips to footballs would help add some consistency to officiating, it won't solve all of the league's issues. Nevertheless, it would be a step in the right direction to start.

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