Baltimore Ravens kicker Justin Tucker has responded to the viral incident that occurred before the AFC Championship Game involving him, Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes, and tight end Travis Kelce.
During the pre-game warm-up, Mahomes and Kelce playfully tossed Tucker’s kicking equipment, sparking a brief but heated exchange.
Tucker shared his thoughts on the matter during an interview on 100.7 The Bay, describing the incident as “silly.”
Initially, he believed that Mahomes and Kelce were simply having some fun at his expense. However, the incident clearly caught the attention of fans and media alike. Tucker called out the Chiefs’ star duo for the way they handled things.
“I’ve been doing the exact same thing for 12 years, never really had a problem with anybody. That’s just kinda the way we’ve always done it, the way kickers around the league have always done it. I saw Patrick there trying to warm up and get some drop backs. He asked me while I was on the ground stretching if I could move my helmet. I happily got up and I moved my helmet out of the way — at least I thought it was enough out of the way. And then Travis comes over and just kicks my stuff, throws my helmet. I thought it was all just some gamesmanship, all in good fun but hey seemed to be taking it a little more seriously.”
Leading up to halftime, Mahomes and Kelce remained intensely focused on the game. The Chiefs managed to secure a 17-7 lead at halftime, but their offense would not score any more points during the game. Despite this, Kansas City ultimately advanced to the Super Bowl.
In retrospect, it’s evident that Mahomes and Kelce could have handled the situation more gracefully. Justin Tucker is a well-respected veteran in the league, and he would likely have been willing to reach a fair resolution with the Chiefs.
The incident has raised questions about Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce’s behavior and may perpetuate the perception that they can be somewhat petulant on the field.
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