Why not cut straight to the chase. Every league has something to hide, or at least tries to make you forget that anything is off. And to be perfectly unbiased, the NFL is a major culprit of this phenomenon.

2022 was odd for the NFL, as they had a special guest, during a part of the season; FIFA’s 2022 World Cup. So, most of the attention from the sports world shifted towards the World Cup. This is not to say that the NFL had become irrelevant. It simply doesn’t have the same allure as a global sporting event. Regardless, the biggest conspiracy of the season made its presence known.

The NFL is scripted. Yes. That’s right. For many fans, this season felt more like a wrestling storyline falling into place. It makes sense, at face value, to compare what happened this season to a wrestling storyline. Let’s operate, under the assumption that the conspiracy is true.

In pro wrestling, you have storylines throughout the shows and PPVs. And everything culminates at the biggest shows, like ‘WrestleMania’ or ‘Double or Nothing’. There are a lot of feel good moments or cliffhangers, and fans want more. What makes these shows successful isn’t just the in-ring work. You have to look back at what started the paths to those shows. Who was involved to create a buzz? What was at stake? Was there controversy? Etc.

In the NFL you have that. The days of Tom Brady being the face of the NFL are over. He was the centerpiece for news and controversy. The star now is Patrick Mahomes. Ever since 2018, as the Kansas City Chiefs quarterback, Mahomes has been on a path to become a success.

That same year, Mahomes was league MVP, leading his squad to the AFC Championship Game, before being stomped by Brady and the Patriots Dynasty. The following year, Mahomes took the Chiefs back to the playoffs, and a trip to Super Bowl 54. Despite trailing 20-10 to the San Francisco 49ers, Mahomes completed a comeback, to win his first Super Bowl. So what was next? They reached Super Bowl 55, so it had to be the start of a dynasty. Well NFL scriptwriters had other ideas. 

Now as a Tampa Bay Buccaneer, Brady led the Bucs to their first Super Bowl in eighteen years. Mahomes went from being elite, to running like a chicken with its head cut off. Brady crushed the Chiefs, effortlessly. 2021 wasn’t any better. Mahomes and the Chiefs had another uphill story to stardom shattered. Joe Burrow and the Cincinnati Bengals defeated the Chiefs, in the AFC Championship Game. So, it created a sense of urgency for Mahomes, to reach the Promised Land again. Come Super Bowl 57, it became an instant classic. Mahomes guided his team to a 2nd championship, this time over the Philadelphia Eagles, 38-35. But it wasn’t just a regular win. Mahomes was confronted with another deficit and ankle injury, yet he fought through it, to win the gold.

See? That right there is a textbook film or tv show conclusion. Now we have a spinoff-sequel from the Brady Era to Mahomes. He will be the guy people love to hate. Protected by the refs. Predicted to win everything, having that key rival, like Peyton Manning was to Brady. That guy is likely Joe Burrow. Everything else around the league will only matter, once the script reaches a crossover section of the season.

This whole “…the NFL is scripted…” nonsense sounds like fans are trying to bring fantasy football to life. What makes this conspiracy funnier is that some players have joined for fun. During an episode of Barstool Sports podcast “Macrodosing”, former Houston Texans and Miami Dolphins running back Arian Foster “went on record”, saying that players receive scripts, during training camp, all laying out the upcoming season. Many people took the bait, and legitimately fell for it.

Apart from selling a story, bad refereeing also fuels the conspiracy. Like in Week 9, the Bucs faced the Falcons. A familiar foe of Brady’s. This type of game is one where the refs really wanted to hand the win to Brady. Defensive end Grady Jarrett took down Brady with a clean hit, only to get flagged. The Bucs won the game, barely. On paper, it looked good for Brady’s on and off the field conflicting storylines. But why stop during the regular season? Glance over at the Super Bowl. On the Eagles’ opening drive of the 2nd half, Jalen Hurts connected with Miles Sanders. Chiefs defensive back L’Jarius Sneed knocked the ball out, and was recovered by Nick Bolton for a touchdown. But, because ref ball is a thing, the initial pass was ruled as incomplete. Sure, the Chiefs ended up winning. But why make the defense look good? The focus should only be Patrick Mahomes. It’s calls like this that make for dubious Super Bowl history. At the same time further adding to the NFL is scripted conspiracy.

Everything about the “NFL is scripted” conspiracy is now a growing part of the league’s history. Sure, the NFL will pretend that it doesn’t exist. Today’s fans will definitely hold on to this belief, maybe until a new generation of fans come along. Till then, fans will continue with the routine.

We’re almost one week removed from the Super Bowl. This entire idea might just die out, before the pre-season.

Is there anything else noteworthy, to be part of unmentionable NFL history?