@GMoneyGTown
This is not as clear cut an answer as it seems.
Refs are graded every week and at the end of the season. There is some perception that 'stars' get calls, like in the NBA. There may be some leeway given to them in the NFL. But I have not see anything to back it up. I have only seen data showing it to be more perception, than favoritism.
But I think a lot of this is coming from two things: elite QBs and good teams.
I read somewhere that Mahomes leads the league, since he came in, with INTs overturned by penalty. It was not even close. Rodgers was a distant second. The article then went on to say that the team that was complaining at the time was the Bengals. But that now Burrow had the most INTs overturned by penalty per throw and Mahomes was second in that category.
I have not verified the data myself, but it seems very, very reasonable.
I do not like that Mahomes tries to draw the 'flop foul'. But until they change it, it is hard to blame him. I do not like when he also acts like he is about to run out of bounds, or go down, and takes off again when the defense holds up.
But elite QBs will take advantage of the penalties they see -- or even the ones they 'anticipate' coming.
You see some trickeration from time to time. Like when Marino faked spiking the ball to stop the clock and then stood up and threw a TD.
But a more obvious example is a QB taking advantage of a clear 'free play'. Elite QBs are just better at this.
Some years back, I was at a game when Brady came to town. So, he was not getting 'home team' calls.
When you are at the game you will see different views than on TV. So, once in the game I saw him take a deep shot that was clearly covered and of course got picked. I was thinking, that was stupid. But Brady realized it was a free play. So, it go overturned. Then they went on to score.
So, I noticed he would do this from time to time, more than any other QB that I had noticed. QBs have always done this. But he would do it with a much higher chance of making a play or getting a PI call than other QBs had been doing -- most just took the 'safer' free play throw. Then a couple of times I saw him throw a 'free play' because of offsides and picked up a PI call -- which obviously was for more yardage. Then I saw him throw a couple times into coverage where it had to be that he was anticipating a PI because that was the only way it could be defended. For example, neither guy could really catch it. But the throw was not really high enough to call 'out of reach to catch', so the grab had to be called, etc.