Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes addresses AFC Championship Game altercation with Ravens K Justin Tucker
There was an interaction between Patrick Mahomes, Travis Kelce, and Ravens kicker Justin Tucker that went viral prior to Sunday's game and caused a lot of controversy. NFL Network's James Palmer got the whole incident on video, first showing Travis Kelce throwing Tucker's helmet, kicking tree, and footballs away when it he saw they were in Mahomes' […]
There was an interaction between Patrick Mahomes, Travis Kelce, and Ravens kicker Justin Tucker that went viral prior to Sunday's game and caused a lot of controversy.
NFL Network's James Palmer got the whole incident on video, first showing Travis Kelce throwing Tucker's helmet, kicking tree, and footballs away when it he saw they were in Mahomes' way. He even kicked one of the balls too.
Afterwards, Mahomes also got into it with the kicker. He appeared to say something to Tucker, but the Ravens star was speaking back. He then points to the other end zone, seeming to be showing that the offense was taking up the entire end zone there.
Yet, Tucker proceeded to put his kicking tree down. And the minute he turned his back, Mahomes took it and threw it away.
Speaking on 610SportsKC The Drive, Mahomes finally addressed this incident
"I've had like seven years of doing that same warmup routine and there's only been like three occasions where there's been a kicker that wasn't, you can talk to guys, there's a kicker that isn't necessarily moving out of the way or you weren't sharing the field in the right way," Mahomes said. "I mean, it was in Baltimore all three times. He does that little stuff, I think to get under our skin. And I asked him to move his stuff and he got up and moved it, I think two inches, but didn't move it out of the way. And I was going to let it slide, but Travis kind of got it and moved it for me. And after that I wasn't going to let him put it down."
It appears that Tucker's "attempt" to rattle Mahomes and the Chiefs didn't work though after Kansas City ultimately took home the victory and secured a spot in the Super Bowl.
Tucker also talked about this moment after the game.
"I find it kind of silly that we're even having to address it or talk about something that happened before the game that I really don't see as a big deal," Tucker told reporters. "I think you can just see the whole interaction and then you see us at the coin toss, we're all dapping each other up and then we just get on with the football game."
And with that, Mahomes isn't focusing on the past.
"We move on. I have a lot of respect for him as a player and as a kicker. One of the best kickers of all time, probably the best kicker of all," Mahomes added. "But at the same time you have to have respect for each team and we all share the field and we try to do that in a respectful way. "
