Tweet spreads false claim that Chiefs’ victory is ‘on hold’ for Mahomes probe

CLAIM: The Kansas City Chiefs’ Super Bowl win is being “put on hold” while the NFL launches an investigation into whether quarterback Patrick Mahomes used performance-enhancing drugs during halftime.

AP’S ASSESSMENT: False. The claim was made by a single Twitter account that posts seemingly satirical sports headlines. An NFL spokesperson confirmed to The Associated Press that the claims are “absolutely false.”

THE FACTS: Hours after Mahomes led the Chiefs to a come-from-behind victory over the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday, the false claim about an investigation into the quarterback’s alleged drug use began circulating widely on social media.

The claim was made by a seemingly satirical Twitter account purporting to be a “sports journalist” that frequently posts outlandish claims about sports. But screenshots of the post quickly spread to other platforms, where people shared it as real news.

“#BREAKING: Chiefs Super Bowl legitimacy put on hold as NFL plans to launch an investigation on possible PED use by Patrick Mahomes during halftime,” the tweet stated, using an acronym for performance-enhancing drugs. “Sources confirm his rapid postgame drug test came back POSITIVE and if guilty the Chiefs could be stripped of the win.”

The tweet had received more than 11,700 likes and more than 3,000 shares as of Tuesday.

NFL spokesperson Brian McCarthy told the AP that this claim is “absolutely false.” He explained that under a performance-enhancing substances policy agreed upon by the NFL and the NFL Players Association labor union, a limited number of players from each team are tested after every regular and postseason game, but that Mahomes was not among those selected for testing after the Super Bowl.

The Twitter account that originally posted the falsehood has many other giveaways that its claims should not to be taken seriously. Although the account does not explicitly identify itself as humor, its bio reads: “Esteemed sports journalist & Patriots Beat Writer Double PHD in Journalism & Female Anatomy.”

Additionally, the supposed sports reporter’s name does not appear as a byline on any articles about the NFL in a Google News search, and a reverse image search shows that the account’s profile photo can be found on the website of a Phoenix-based headshot photography studio.

Mahomes aggravated an ankle injury late in the Super Bowl’s second quarter, but fought through the injury to lead the Chiefs to a 38-35 victory over the Eagles. He finished with the game with 182 yards passing and three touchdowns and was named Super Bowl MVP for the second time in his career.

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This is part of AP’s effort to address widely shared misinformation, including work with outside companies and organizations to add factual context to misleading content that is circulating online. Learn more about fact-checking at AP.