Clark Hunt must call out NFL commissioner Roger Goodell

Week 5 of the 2022 NFL season will be remembered for a long time because of multiple questionable calls or no-calls on roughing the passer. This has led to a lot of frustration and confusion from fans with the rules and the inconsistencies from the officials. The Kansas City Chiefs were a part of the confusion on Monday Night Football with a pair of plays that got a lot of reactions.

Bad officiating, or sometimes a call made by the referee due to a bad rule, has always been an issue. However, Week 5 of the NFL season took it to another level. It is to the point where the fans and the media are calling out the NFL in unison.

I’ve got bad news for you: the NFL, and specifically commissioner Roger Goodell, does not care what the fans and media have to say. The players and coaches are too scared to speak their minds for fear of a fine. But what if the owners spoke up and called out Goodell and the NFL publicly? What if Chiefs CEO Clark Hunt and the Hunt family called out Goodell?

With Roger Goodell hardly doing any media, the Hunt family and other NFL owners must call out the NFL commissioner to answer for recent controversies.

We know Hunt is very reserved and careful with his words when speaking to the media. It’s very rare for Hunt to make a comment that goes viral and gets talked about by fans and the media.

If there was ever a time for Hunt and his family to speak up and call out Goodell, now is the time.

In Week 3 against the Colts, Chiefs defensive tackle Chris Jones got close to Colts quarterback Matt Ryan after a key third down stop, where it appeared Jones and Ryan were having some typical sports banter. Jones was penalized for unsportsmanlike conduct, giving the Colts a first down and eventually ending that drive with the game-winning touchdown late in the game. It is unclear what Jones said to draw the penalty.

Two weeks later, Jones found himself in the middle of controversy again, this time in primetime against the Raiders. Jones came away with a sack, forced fumble, and recovery on Raiders quarterback Derek Carr. But Jones was hit with a roughing the passer penalty. It not only nullified the takeaway, but it gave the Raiders a new set of downs and eventually three points on the drive.

In the same game, Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes got swung around by a Raiders defender before hitting the ground for a sack. Buccaneers quarterback Tom Brady was sacked the exact same way late in a game against the Falcons a day before. Yet somehow, Brady managed to draw the flag, but not Mahomes.

There were some more questionable calls/missed calls during Monday’s game and prior to that. One infamous Chiefs-related call came during the 2016-17 NFL wildcard playoff game where then-Chiefs linebacker Derrick Johnson delivered a big hit on then-Titans quarterback Marcus Mariota. Mariota immediately drops the football, leading everyone to believe it’s a fumble. But somehow, it was ruled as forward progress.

It’s time for the NFL to seriously address this now. Not after the season. It needs to be now. The only way it happens is if the owners pressure Goodell.

As mentioned earlier, Clark Hunt is not an outspoken guy. But I’ve seen his wife, Tavia Hunt, publicly call out a Chiefs-related comment once made by Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio.

The owners not only need to demand a change, but they need to come together to unite and force Goodell to have to answer weekly questions about some issues in the NFL If Goodell is forced to be in front of microphones and cameras, and assuming the NFL media will keep him honest, this could force Goodell to take these issues with poor officiating more seriously.