Terrell Owens Goes Off On The NFL For 'Blatantly' Favoring The Chiefs & 'Rigging'

Terrell Owens has slammed the NFL, alleging that it is "rigged" and exhibits blatant favoritism toward the Kansas City Chiefs ahead of the Super Bowl.

It has become a full-blown conspiracy theory that the Chiefs enjoy favorable calls from the league's referees, as fans decry the influence of Taylor Swift's relationship with Travis Kelce and the attention it brings the league.

However, the league's referee association has denied the "insulting and preposterous" claims that it favors the Kansas City Chiefs.

Last week, former NFL wide receiver Terrell Owens appeared on the "Is What It Is" podcast and blasted the NFL, alleging that it is "rigged" and has been "blatant" in favoring the Chiefs during the playoffs for the Super Bowl.

"It's crazy because I played the game and I'm watching the game and I'm looking at all these calls that they're just, that's benefiting the Kansas City Chiefs," Owens said, per the New York Post. "Look at the game before, against the Texans. [Patrick] Mahomes is smart, he's dinking around, he's causing the flag, you know what I mean?"

"He's getting the benefit. He didn't even get hit. Fifteen-yard flag, the guy, Will Anderson, barely hit him. That can stop the momentum of the game. At that point in time, the Houston Texans were in the game. Those calls right there advance them, gives them extra downs. It changed the whole complexity of the game," Owens added.

Owens' comments come as Super Bowl 2025 draws near. The Chiefs are looking to complete a historic three-peat against the Eagles in the championship game.

Many fans have taken to social media to express their frustration over pop star Taylor Swift's relationship with Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce and the attention it brings to the league.

Although Owens maintained that he is friends with Kelce and that Andy Reid is his "favorite coach" from their time together in Philadelphia, he scrutinized their last couple of Championship wins, insinuating that some calls aided their victory.

"You can even go back to the last couple of Super Bowls, even when the Niners played the Super Bowl," Owens said. "Look at all the holding calls. If you watched the tape, it was cray. They were getting clothes-lined and they were not calling it."

"It was blatant, blatant calls that were, like, obvious. It was blatant, it's unreal. I never would've thought I would say that I thought games were rigged, but somebody got plays, but it is unreal at the amount of all calls that are not called against the Kansas City Chiefs that are called against everybody else," he added.

Amid the rising controversy, the NFL Referees Association has distanced itself from conspiracy theories, with NFL commissioner Roger Goodell labeling them "ridiculous."

On Tuesday, the Union's executive director, Scott Green, praised Goodell's defense of the league's officials while assuring fans that the refs are "doing everything humanly possible to officiate every play correctly."

"Commissioner Goodell's comments that it is 'ridiculous' to presume that NFL officials are not doing everything possible to make the right calls on every play is spot on," Green said.

He continued, "Officiating crews do not work the same team more than twice each regular season. It is insulting and preposterous to hear conspiracy theories that somehow 17 officiating crews consisting of 138 officials are colluding to assist one team."

It will be an intense Super Bowl, as the Eagles will face the Chiefs in New Orleans on Sunday, February 9, in this year's championship showdown.

Both teams faced off two years ago when the Chiefs battled back from a 10-point deficit to beat the Eagles 38-35 in a thrilling encounter. Many fans will surely keep a close eye on this one as they look to pounce on any questionable calls from the officiating crew.

The encounter means the Kansas City Chiefs are chasing their third straight title but would face a worthy opponent in the Eagles.

Speaking ahead of the game, Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts said his team's loss to the Chiefs in their Super Bowl meeting two years ago has "lit a fire" in him.

"I've learned so much," Hurts said, per Sky Sports. "It's the same as any other game. Every game has its lessons - good, bad or indifferent. So just being able to become wiser, grow and mature and take all of those lessons in, it's had a great driving force."

"It lit a flame, lit a fire in me, and to have this opportunity again is exactly what you work for," he added.