The narrative from some fans that NFL referees favor the Kansas City Chiefs is still very much alive in 2026. On Patrick Mahomes‘ return to the field just nine months removed from suffering a torn LCL and ACL, the Chiefs were firing on all cylinders as they blitzed past the Denver Broncos with a 31-10 victory on Monday night. Mahomes marked his return back from injury with a bangGettyMahomes showed that his knee was not causing him any problems, rushing in a 15-yard touchdown inside the first quarter for the first score of the game.In fact, according to Next Gen Stats, the 30-year-old’s top speed on the touchdown scramble was 15.8 MPH – 2.5 MPH faster than his average speed on rushing attempts last season. The play came immediately after the two-time NFL MVP had a five-yard rushing score taken off the board by a holding call. However, there was some debate over whether the touchdown should have stood. View Tweet: https://t.co/srv0qMMxwHThis comes after replays showed that his teammate Travis Kelce – who is playing his first game since marrying Taylor Swift, who was in attendance at Arrowhead Stadium – appeared to be committing a hold of his own. “At the end of this play, it looked like Travis Kelce might have gotten away with a hold, but Patrick Mahomes, he does not protect himself as he thought he might,” Troy Aikman explained during the broadcast. “… Here’s a look at what looked to be a hold by Travis Kelce at the end of that play.”ESPN’s rules analyst Russell Yurk concurred with Aikman, arguing that the play should have been called back for a holding penalty for Kelce on Talanoa Hufanga. “Yeah Troy, I agree with you,” Yurk stated. “You could see Travis puts his left arm out and restricts over the chest of the defender trying to make the tackle.“And that prevents him from really being able to get there. …I think it’s tough for the officials to see, but it is a hold.”Kelce got away with a hold on Mahomes’ opening touchdown of the gameGettyThe fans expressed their dismay at the referees missing a hold on KelceGettyFans react to the officialsFans were very quick to jump on social media to give remarks about the no-call, with one posting on X: “Travis Kelce holding but the referee will act like he ain’t see it.”“Pretends to be shocked,” another user commented. “Blatant as f***. Been like that for years,” a third added. “It was only in the middle of the field and in front of all the refs, how are they supposed to see that?” someone else joked.Ultimately, when the whole game is put into perspective, that particular no-call didn’t really have an impact on the final result, with Mahomes completing 15-of-27 passing for 184 yards, two touchdowns and an interception.Super Bowl LIX MVP Kenneth Walker III made a grand entrance to Kansas City, erupting for 173 yards and a rushing score on debut. Kelce also etched his name into the history books, overtaking former Dallas Cowboys pass-catch Jason Witten to make the No. 2 place on the NFL’s all-time receiving leaderboard for tight ends his own after recording three catches for 71 yards. Only Hall of Famer Tony Gonzalez stands in his way of the top spot, On the other hand, Broncos quarterback Bo Nix struggled to move the ball down field, passing for just 131 yards on 17 completions for a touchdown and an interception, along with three fumbles (one lost). The Chiefs’ bid to have a resurgence in 2026 following a 6-11 record last time out has got off to a terrific start with them set to host the 0-1 Indianapolis Colts in Week 2. Join talkSPORT’s dedicated US Sports YouTube channel The S* Word every Tuesday and Thursday for our brand new NFL shows.On Tuesdays, Will Gavin and US senior reporter Brian T. Smith will debate the biggest talking points from the NFL weekend, while on Thursdays Efe Obada joins the crew to talk to players past and present and break down what to look for across the league.