The AFC title game was heated as players showed their fire in this high-stakes contest.
The Kansas City Chiefs faced the Baltimore Ravens in the AFC Championship game last season at M&T Bank Stadium, and the battle for a spot in Super Bowl LVIII began before the game even started.
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Footage of Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce and Ravens kicker Justin Tucker warming up dangerously close to Patrick Mahomes went viral.
Tucker was in the same area as the Chiefs pair and appeared to be playing mind games while doing some pre-game stretches.
Kelce reportedly told Tucker he had to move, but the Ravens man was undeterred and stuck to his opinion with a smile on his face.
An angry Kelce then kicked away Tucker’s helmet and ball, which were lying on the ground near the end zone where Mahomes was practicing.
“Travis Kelce told Justin Tucker he had to leave because their QB Patrick Mahomes had to warm up. So Kelce kicked his ball away and threw his helmet,” tweeted James Palmer of NFL Network.
The short clip made the rounds at X, but it didn’t end there, as Mahomes and Tucker allegedly continued to attack each other.
A clip showed the pair exchanging words after the Kelce incident, with Mahomes repeatedly kicking Tucker’s boner out of the way as the Ravens star attempted to work out.
“Patrick Mahomes and Justin Tucker are having a pregame exchange. Mahomes keeps kicking Tucker’s holder away,” Palmer added on X.
Kelce and his brother Jason later said Tucker broke an unwritten rule by apparently entering the other team’s designated area.
“If you want to be damn serious, keep your helmet and your football and kick the damn ball right where the quarterbacks are warming up.
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“If you don’t pick it up, I’ll be happy to move it for you.”
Travis then revealed that Tucker had been winking at him, making jokes and trying to tease him.
“Pat and I had the same attitude all week… you have to go in there with the right attitude and we just weren’t in the mood to joke around.”
Kelce later apologized to Tucker for the escalation, but joked that he could always be one step ahead of him when it came to humiliation.
The 2024 season will open with the Chiefs vs. Ravens game. Even though much of the attention will be on Mahomes and Lamar Jackson, many are already looking forward to the warm-up game.
When Kelce spoke about the incident before the first game of the season, he made his opinion on a possible dispute clear.
“It was Tucker’s home field, so I don’t know if his routine is on that side of things,” he told the Rich Eisen Show. “I have nothing but love for Tucker. You know, he kind of winked at me last year and laughed about it, and I don’t know, I just wasn’t in the mood to laugh.”
Even when asked if he would change his warm-up routine, Tucker avoided the issue.
“All I can say is that I’m excited to come into a great environment, play against a great football team with great players and great coaches and do everything I can to prepare to do my part to help the Ravens win. And that’s all I have to say about that.”
In January, the Chiefs won 17-10, with Travis scoring a touchdown and catching 11 passes for 116 yards. Tucker made the Ravens’ only field goal.
But Kelce had already celebrated two Super Bowl victories in a row in February and is now aiming for the elusive third victory in a row.
There was speculation that this could be Kelce’s last season, as he had been in Kansas City since 2013. However, he downplayed this, even as he beat the 49ers last season.
“I didn’t think about that at all,” he said.
With new additions Xavier Worthy, fullback Carson Steele and veteran wide receiver Hollywood Brown, it will take some mind games to stop them from making history.
