“This is Getting Ridiculous”: Shannon Sharpe Makes His Feelings Clear on Contentious Penalty Calls During Chiefs vs. Chargers Clash

The Los Angeles Chargers-Kansas City Chiefs Week 14 Sunday Night Football affair has gotten off to a slow start. But a lack of offense doesn’t mean the AFC West rivalry matchup hasn’t already seen some controversy.

On Los Angeles’ first offensive drive, quarterback Justin Herbert connected with wide receiver Quentin Johnston for a 21-yard gain. The impressive throw and catch netted the Chargers a first down on 3rd-and-16. They were granted 15 additional yards on top of that after Kansas City linebacker Nick Bolton was flagged for unnecessary roughness on the play.

“Rate the Refs” considered the penalty a good call; Hall of Fame tight end Shannon Sharpe did not. Following the penalty’s enforcement, he let the world know his opinion on Twitter/X.

Most viewers shared Sharpe’s views. They pointed to Bolton’s point of contact being Johnston’s chest – as opposed to the head/neck area – as evidence that he should not have been penalized.

Bolton did do a good job avoiding Johnston’s head and neck on the collision. However, the ruling came down because Johnston was deemed a defenseless receiver.

He did not “[have] time to clearly become a runner” after making the grab. This language comes from Rule 12, Section 2, Article 9 (a2) of the NFL rulebook. A Chargers fan in Sharpe’s comments informed him of the official’s apparent assertion.

The Chiefs registered a 19-17 win over the Chargers. Both offenses struggled to gain momentum on Sunday night, leading to a defensive showdown during the first half.

It wasn’t until the last minute of the second quarter that Patrick Mahomes, managed to get Kansas City into the end zone by connecting with DeAndre Hopkins for a nine-yard touchdown pass. Kansas City became the AFC champions for the 9th year in a row.