Travis Kelce and the Kansas City Chiefs opened their 2026 season with their offense fully loaded. Patrick Mahomes returned from a nine-month rehab, Kenneth Walker III made his Kansas City debut, and together they powered a 31-10 Week 1 win over the Denver Broncos at Arrowhead Stadium.
Walker set the tone immediately, carrying the ball 23 times for a career-best 173 yards. Mahomes brought his usual toughness too, scrambling on his 10th snap of the day before diving through contact for a 15-yard touchdown.
New offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy’s physical approach was on full display as Kansas City leaned into downhill football all afternoon. That touchdown, though, is where the story took a turn.
Denny Medley-Imagn Images via Reuters Connect
A replay appeared to show the veteran tight end holding Broncos defensive back Talanoa Hufanga near the goal line on the exact play that sprung Mahomes loose. No flag came, and it didn’t take long for the rest of the NFL world to notice.
Social media lit up almost instantly, with fans and analysts questioning why officials missed the call.
“Travis Kelce is BLATANTLY holding Talanoa Hufanga on this play. Refs swallowed their whistles,” one said. “Absolutely disgusting.”
“Ah yes, totally legal block by Travis Kelce and totally not a hold,” another added, with a sarcastic tone.
“The Chiefs refs already in mid season form,” another wrote, posting a picture of a referee in Chiefs colors.
“Travis Kelce gets away with a hold on this touchdown run from Mahomes,” Rate the Refs added, with an explanation. “Rules analyst claims this is a tough one for the refs to see that’s why they didn’t call it.”
“Very very shocked that the Chiefs are allowed to hold downfield right in front of the official!” Sam Dekker shared, while another added, “We’ve got the chiefs but they’re the only team in the league who doesn’t get called for the kelce holding lol.”
The Kansas City Chiefs will play the Indianapolis Colts in Week 2 at Arrowhead Stadium next Sunday, at 8:20 p.m. ET.
More NFL Essentials
- Top 25 Highest-Paid NFL Players Right Now
- All 32 NFL Teams’ Salary Cap Spending
- Richest NFL Owner Rankings
- Best NFL Draft Steals of All Time
- Athlon Sports’ NFL Drive Dominance Ranking
- Every NFL Referee: Most and Least Experienced
- Biggest Celebrity Fans of Every NFL Team
- NFL’s Most Intimidating Home-Field Advantages
