Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Kadarius Toney expressed his frustration with a controversial offsides penalty that negated his go-ahead touchdown in the fourth quarter of their game against the Buffalo Bills in Week 14. Toney claimed that the referee did not make any effort to inform him that he was lined up offsides, stating that it was the referee's job to do so. He argued that there should have been a warning given if he was lined up slightly ahead of the ball. Toney also pointed out that he appeared to briefly point towards the referee on the sideline before the ball was snapped.

Referee Carl Cheffers, one of the officials in the game, responded by saying that while they are willing to provide alignment advice, the players are ultimately responsible for lining up properly. According to Cheffers, no warning is required, especially if the player is significantly offsides and obstructing the view of the ball.

Video footage of the play circulated on social media, showing Toney scoring a touchdown after a lateral from Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce. However, the touchdown was nullified due to the offsides call, and the Chiefs were subsequently stopped on fourth down. Kansas City quarterback Patrick Mahomes was visibly upset on the sidelines, directing his frustration towards the referee who made the call. Mahomes later expressed regret for his behavior, acknowledging that he should not have reacted that way and that he also regretted how he acted towards Bills quarterback Josh Allen after the game.

Toney spoke to the media about the penalty for the first time on Thursday, still expressing his frustration and claiming that the referees “lied” about warning him earlier in the game. He insisted that his foot was not past the line of scrimmage, despite replays clearly showing otherwise. Toney emphasized the importance of clear communication between the referees and players, stating that they need to ensure that all the details are clarified.

Chiefs head coach Andy Reid initially called the decision “embarrassing” for the NFL but later admitted that Toney had not checked with the referees. The referees, on the other hand, argued that it is not their responsibility to give warnings and that they only do so in certain cases. They defended their decision to call the penalty, stating that Toney's infraction was severe enough to warrant it. Cheffers, when asked about any warnings given, stated that he did not have an answer regarding specific receivers' alignments or any other warnings.

Toney, who was traded to the Chiefs from the New York Giants last season, has had a challenging season with Kansas City, including a drop-filled performance in Week 1. The result of the game against the Bills was a heartbreaking loss for the Chiefs, who now hold an 8-5 record and are only one game ahead of the Denver Broncos in the AFC West.

Toney expressed his disappointment at having his touchdown taken away, especially considering it was thrown by one of the greatest tight ends in the game, Travis Kelce. He referred to it as "the greatest play taken back by the greatest tight end."

The Chiefs will face the New England Patriots in their upcoming game.