During his October 23 media session, Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes addressed the criticism surrounding his 33-yard scramble against the San Francisco 49ers in Week 7. Mahomes defended his actions, explaining why he slowed down near the sideline before cutting back upfield.
“I didn’t feel like I was really pretending to go out of bounds on that play,” Mahomes explained. “I never want to put a defender in a tough spot. We’re all competing out there.
When I decide to go out of bounds, I go out of bounds—I’m not trying to trick anyone by exploiting a loophole in the rules. In that moment, I was looking to cut back and get the first down, and once I did, I saw a lane and took it. I ended up running out of bounds on that very play.”
Mahomes emphasized, “When I go out of bounds, I’m going out. If I’m aiming for the first down, I’m going for the first down. I’m not trying to cheat the game or use any rule loopholes.”
Context of Patrick Mahomes’s Sideline Scramble
The play occurred late in the third quarter of the Chiefs’ Week 7 matchup against the 49ers, with just over a minute remaining. Facing a 2nd-and-7 from the San Francisco 37-yard line, Mahomes dropped back to pass, scrambled left, and appeared to fool 49ers linebacker Dee Winters near the sideline before running upfield for 33 yards.
The run positioned Kansas City’s offense at San Francisco’s four-yard line. That 13-play, 79-yard drive ended with a touchdown, extending the Chiefs’ lead to 21-12 after the extra point early in the fourth quarter.
Criticism of Mahomes’s Sideline Scramble
Mahomes’s 33-yard run marked the longest of his regular-season career but sparked criticism on social media. Some fans believed he took advantage of how quarterbacks are protected along the sideline by making it seem like he was going out of bounds, only to continue running when defenders held back.
“That Patrick Mahomes run on the sideline is [expletive],” one person tweeted. “This is why QBs should be fair game to hit on the sideline.”
Another comment read, “That move by Mahomes on the sideline is all because of how late hits on QBs are handled. He faked going out, knowing any contact would draw a flag. Once the defense eased up, he kept going.”
“Exactly why there shouldn’t be penalties for late hits near the sideline,” another person wrote. “Mahomes pulls this [expletive] all the time. He dances along the sideline, defenders avoid hitting him to avoid a penalty, and then he takes off and steps out when it suits him.”
