Amid Fierce Criticism from the NFL Community and Lions Fans, NFL Launches Investigation into Craig Wrolstad’s Officiating Crew After Controversial Calls in Chiefs vs. Lions Game

Amid Fierce Criticism from the NFL Community and Lions Fans, NFL Launches Investigation into Craig Wrolstad’s Officiating Crew After Controversial Calls in Chiefs vs Lions Game

The Sunday Night Football clash between the Kansas City Chiefs and Detroit Lions ended in a 30–17 victory for the home team, but the postgame conversation was dominated not by touchdowns — but by officiating. The referee crew led by Craig Wrolstad has come under heavy fire following a string of controversial calls that fans and analysts say unfairly favored the Chiefs.

Across social media, especially on X (formerly Twitter), the hashtag #RiggedForChiefs began trending just minutes after the game ended. Fans accused the officiating crew of inconsistency and bias, pointing to multiple clips showing clear holding penalties by Chiefs offensive linemen that went uncalled, as well as a highly questionable “roughing the passer” flag on Aidan Hutchinson, who barely made contact with Patrick Mahomes.

Several former officials, including Gene Steratore and Mike Pereira, have since weighed in, calling the performance of Wrolstad’s crew “disjointed and lacking fairness.” Pereira went as far as saying, “Some of those calls can’t be defended with any reasonable officiating standard.”

In response to the widespread criticism, the NFL has officially launched an internal investigation into Craig Wrolstad’s officiating crew. According to NFL Media, the league’s officiating operations department is conducting a full review of all game footage and the internal communication between referees during the matchup to determine whether there were any major errors or signs of bias.

A senior league official told reporters:

“We are aware of the concerns raised by fans and analysts. Any lack of fairness or deviation from officiating integrity must be addressed transparently. It’s our responsibility to protect the credibility of the league and the competitive balance of every game.”

As of now, Wrolstad and his crew have not issued any public comment, but the situation has quickly become one of the most talked-about controversies of the 2025 NFL season. Lions fans continue to demand accountability, with many calling for suspensions or retraining of the officials involved.

For now, the league’s investigation remains ongoing — and the debate continues: did the Chiefs truly win on merit, or were they helped along by a few too many friendly whistles?