Tom Brady Says NFL Referees Could Call Holding Penalty on 'Every Single Play'

Tampa Bay Buccaneers star Tom Brady echoed a common refrain after the officials in the AFC Championship Game appeared to miss a critical holding penalty.

Brady said on his Let's Go! podcast that linemen are probably guilty of holding on almost "every single play."

"Are you allowed to hold? No, you're not; it's against the rules," he said starting at the 40:45 mark. "Is there holding by the offensive line and defensive line on every play? Yes."

The future Hall of Famer added NFL referees have a difficult job attempting to call penalties in the moment because the action is moving so fast. He said he broadly considers flags to be warranted in instances when a player makes a "clear, obvious and prolonged" infraction.

The officiating was a major storyline in the Kansas City Chiefs' 23-20 win over the Cincinnati Bengals in the AFC Championship Game on Sunday, and fans in Cincinnati were left fuming after Kansas City appeared to get away with a hold on Patrick Mahomes' five-yard run in the final seconds of the fourth quarter.

Bengals defensive end Joseph Ossai was flagged for unnecessary roughness on the play, which moved the ball 15 yards forward to set up a game-winning 45-yard by Harrison Butker.

Brady is correct in that being an NFL referee is a thankless existence where nobody can ever have a 100 percent accuracy rate. But that doesn't make it any easier to take when officials fail to see a clear penalty a pivotal juncture.