Who is referee Sarah Thomas? Everything we know about NFL official who met Taylor Swift before Broncos-Chiefs game

Sarah Thomas is the first full-time female official in NFL history. Born in Pascagoula, Mississippi, Thomas attended Pascagoula High School, where she shone in softball. Following this, she went on to attend the University of Mobile on a basketball scholarship.

In 1996, Thomas forayed into officiating with a meeting of the Gulf Coast Football Officials Association. By 1999, she had officiated her first high school varsity game and by 2007, officiated her first major college football game.

Continuing her success in the industry, in 2009, Sarah Thomas became the first woman to referee a college bowl game.

Eight years later, Thomas finally debuted as a referee in the NFL regular season and officiated a game between the Kansas City Chiefs and Houston Texans.

By 2021, Sarah Thomas refereed in Super Bowl LV, which made her the first woman to officiate in a Super Bowl.

On Sunday, Thomas started making rampant headlines when a credible Sports Reporter made a sensational claim about her – subtly hinting at rigging the Week 10 game.

Sarah Thomas met Taylor Swift ahead of the Sunday Night Football: Reports

Taylor Swift | The Eras Tour - Indianapolis, IN - Source: Getty

As per KSNT News sports reporter Landon Reinhardt's controversial X post, Sarah Thomas, "the down judge (ref) for today's Chiefs/Broncos game, briefly met with Taylor Swift before the game."

Reinhardt added how, while she was on "FaceTime with family," he "heard her say, 'Did you get that screenshot?'"

The post was enough to create an internet storm – especially given the fact Swift is Chiefs TE Travis Kelce's girlfriend.

Naturally, a conversation around potential bias in officiating came up, so much so that even the "Love Story" singer was accused of influencing the game. That said, the Chiefs ended up winning over the Broncos 16-14.

Adding to the drama, Kansas City Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes was in hot water after he was overheard on broadcast mic reportedly asking the referee:

“Can you let me know when he’s close? Tell me, tell me."

Well, it was seen as an attempt by Patrick Mahomes to gain a heads-up on approaching defenders.

Well, this is not the first time NFL fans have pointed fingers at the league's referees for favoring the Chiefs. It has been happening right from the onset of the 2024 season.