KANSAS CITY, Mo. – George Karlaftis may not be generating gaudy sack totals, but he’s generating plenty of pressure. On Sunday, he may want to exercise a hair of caution when rushing Daniel Jones.
That’s because Sunday’s referee leads the NFL by a large margin in roughing-the-passer calls. Rookie white hat Alex Moore, assigned to Sunday’s Colts-Chiefs game (12 p.m. CT, CBS/KCTV, Channel 5, 96.5 The Fan), has thrown 10 such flags this year, by far most in the league.
george karlafti
Sep 28, 2025; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Kansas City Chiefs defensive end George Karlaftis (56) on field against the Baltimore Ravens during the game at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-Imagn Images / Denny Medley-Imagn Images
Defensive line coach Joe Cullen said Karlaftis is having as good a year as he’s had since the Chiefs selected him in the first round of the 2022 draft. The defensive end is thriving in Steve Spagnuolo’s offense, compiling an 18.4-percent pressure rate, fifth-highest among NFL players with at least five sacks.
Highest pressure rates among players with 5+ sacks this season:
1. Nik Bonitto (21%/9.5)
2. Will Anderson Jr. (20.4%/8.0)
3. Aidan Hutchinson (18.5%/7.5)
4. Micah Parsons (18.4%/8.0)
5. George Karlaftis (18.4%/5.0) pic.twitter.com/orwbSxIBSD
— The 33rd Team (@The33rdTeamFB) November 20, 2025
“Plays with relentless motor,” Cullen said Thursday. “Having a great year. He's physical. When you add a lot of things up, he does a lot of things really well. I mean, plays the run well. Coach Spags will ask our ends to be versatile, drop into coverage. He does that well.
“He's physical at the point of attack in the run game. You look at his hits, hurries, and he's another one. I mean, he'd like to get a few more of those hits and hurries to get the quarterback on the ground.”
george karlafti
Oct 27, 2025; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Washington Commanders quarterback Marcus Mariota (8) scrambles defended by Kansas City Chiefs defensive end George Karlaftis (56) during the second quarter of the game at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images / Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images
No. 1 in the league
He just needs to get Jones on the ground, and deliver those hits and hurries, within Moore’s interpretation of the rules. According to NFLPenalties.com, Moore has thrown three more roughing-the-passer flags than Alan Eck and Bill Vinovich, who each have seven. Moore is averaging one of those calls per game this season.
However, one factor that could help Karlaftis and the Chiefs is offensive holding. Moore’s crew has flagged players for offensive holding 36 times in 10 games, including those declined and offsetting. That per-game average (3.6) is second in the league.
daniel jone
Nov 9, 2025; Berlin, Germany; Indianapolis Colts quarterback Daniel Jones (17) throws a pass against Atlanta Falcons linebacker James Pearce Jr. (27) during the NFL Berlin Game at Olympic Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images / Kirby Lee-Imagn Images
The Chiefs’ defense, meanwhile, has only benefitted from offensive-holding calls on only 14 occasions (1.4 per game), tied for 21st in the league. Denver leads the NFL in the holding-drawn category with 27.
Get ready for a lot of flags, too. Moore’s group leads the NFL in overall penalties per game (16.6).
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