Mtp.Lions President Submits Complaint Requesting NFL Investigation of Officiating Crew After Flag Thrown Immediately Following Travis Kelce Raising His Hand to Demand a Penalty in Game Against Chiefs.

Detroit, Michigan – October 14, 2025 – Detroit Lions President Rod Wood has officially submitted a complaint to the National Football League (NFL) requesting an investigation into the officiating crew for the game between the Lions and Kansas City Chiefs on October 12, 2025. The complaint focuses on a controversial situation in the fourth quarter, where officials threw a pass interference flag right after Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce raised his hand to demand a penalty, along with the fact that the Chiefs were not penalized at all throughout the game.

According to a statement from the Lions’ office, Wood sent a letter directly to the NFL’s discipline and officiating committee, emphasizing the need for transparency in on-field decisions. In the complaint letter, Wood wrote: “We acknowledge that our team lost the game convincingly to a strong opponent like the Chiefs. However, football needs to be transparent and maintain fairness. The situation where officials threw the flag right after Travis Kelce raised his hand to demand a penalty is a prime example of inconsistency, especially when the Chiefs had zero penalties throughout the game. We request that the NFL thoroughly investigate the officiating crew to ensure the integrity of the league.”

The game ended with a 26-20 victory for the Chiefs in overtime, but it was overshadowed by a series of controversies regarding the officiating. The specific incident occurred on a crucial third-down play, when quarterback Patrick Mahomes threw a deep ball to Kelce. Video footage shows Kelce raising his hand in reaction before the penalty flag was thrown, resulting in a pass interference penalty against the Lions, which allowed the Chiefs to extend their drive and kick an important field goal. Many experts and Lions fans believe this play may not have warranted a penalty, especially since the ball appeared uncatchable, and the decision seemed influenced by Kelce’s reaction.

TRENDING: #Lions fans are angry that the refs threw a flag as soon as Travis Kelce put up his hands and asked for a penalty on Detroit.

😬😬😬

Kansas City had zero penalties called on them all night.

pic.twitter.com/UCDrBAqEFL — MLFootball (@_MLFootball) October 13, 2025

Additionally, the Chiefs playing a completely penalty-free game is a rare phenomenon in NFL history, occurring only a few times in the past decade. Wood emphasized that this not only affected the game’s outcome but also shakes fans’ confidence in the league’s fairness. “We don’t want to blame our loss, but incidents like this need to be clarified to prevent recurrence,” Wood added in an interview with ESPN.

The NFL has not yet issued an official response to the complaint, but internal sources indicate that the league may review video footage and reports from the officiating crew. Meanwhile, Chiefs head coach Andy Reid defended the officials, stating that the decisions were “consistent with the rules” and reflected his team’s disciplined play.

This incident continues to heat up public opinion on social media, with the hashtag #NFLRefs trending on X (Twitter), where Lions fans express disappointment and call for reforms to the officiating system. The Lions will face their next challenge against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, while the NFL hopes to resolve the matter quickly to focus on upcoming games.