Chiefs, Colts Bracing for Potential $69,000 Punishment Announcement From NFL
It was a hard-fought battle between the Kansas City Chiefs and the Indianapolis Colts on Sunday. In the end, it was Patrick Mahomes and Co. who escaped with a thrilling 23-20 victory in overtime. The two-time NFL MVP led the way for Kansas City with 29-of-46 completed passes for 352 yards, zero touchdowns and one interception. Mahomes was far from his best, but it was enough to help carry his team to victory.
The Colts secondary was relentless against Mahomes in this one. In fact, they were called for two roughing the passer penalties on the Chiefs QB. That was just two out of at least six fine-eligible incidents in what turned out to be an action-packed affair.
It was Indianapolis that entered this game with momentum, having won five of its last six games. The Chiefs, however, were in desperate need of a win after losing two in a row and were in danger of slipping out of the playoff race. Kansas City needed an extra period to get it done, but all that mattered in the end was that it improved to 6-5 after the tightly contested matchup.
As for Mahomes, the six-time Pro Bowl quarterback found himself on the receiving end of two brutal hits from the Colts. Grover Stewart and Laiatu Latu were both flagged for roughing the passer for making illegal contact on Mahomes after he released the ball.
According to the NFL’s rulebook, a roughing the passer foul could potentially carry a fine of $17,389 for a first offense. If the league deems Stewart and Latu’s actions to be excessive, that could potentially amount to a combined fine of $34,778 between them.
There were also three facemask penalties called during the game. Two of them were on Colts players, Charvarius Ward and Sauce Gardner , while a third one was called on Chiefs offensive lineman Jawaan Taylor . A facemask violation, which is when a player illegally grasps onto an opponent’s helmet's facemask, results in an automatic 15-yard penalty. Each incident can also be fined $5,797, so the three penalties could total $17,391.
Finally, Chiefs tackle Kingsley Suamataia was penalized for a blindside block in the fourth quarter. This type of foul is called when a player initiates forcible contact when his path is toward or parallel to his own end line. Similar to a roughing the passer call, a blindside block also carries a potential fine of $17,389.
The NFL Officiating Department will review each of the plays in question and will decide on whether or not each of them will result in a fine. However, if the NFL deems all six incidents fine-eligible, this would result in a total of $69,558 in fines among the six involved.
The Chiefs and the Colts will now await the league's decision, which is announced via the weekly gameday accountability report every Saturday.
Related: Chiefs Announce Patrick Mahomes News Before Cowboys Game
This story was originally published by Athlon Sports on Nov 25, 2025, where it first appeared in the NFL section. Add Athlon Sports as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
