The viral incident involving the Kansas City Chiefs’ Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce engaging in a run-in with the Baltimore Ravens’ Justin Tucker before the Chiefs’ AFC win Sunday brought an explanation later in the week from Kelce.
Detailing the incident on the Wednesday “New Heights” podcast with his brother Jason Kelce, the Chiefs tight end said kicker Tucker broke an unwritten rule regarding pregame practice, and that prompted Travis Kelce to toss his equipment aside.
Recognizing that Tucker, in invading the Chiefs’ territory as they warmed up, was jokingly playing a competitive mind game, Travis Kelce indicated Chiefs players were focused on the game and in no mood to joke around.
“So we’re warming up,” Travis Kelce said in the podcast. “And we do our same warm-up every single time on our side of the field.
“For those of you who don’t know what happens in pregames,” he continued, “The Ravens have their side of the field, and the Chiefs have our side of the field.
“Now specialists — because of, like, the wind factor and …
“They go to both sides,” interjected Jason Kelce.
“They get a chance to kick at both field goals,” continued Travis Kelce, “and a punt from both sides of the field.”
If someone like a kicker goes to the opposition’s side of the field, “You kind of stay out of their way,” according to Travis Kelce. “You know, you don’t interfere with what they have going on.”
Was Kelce wrong to throw Justin Tucker’s equipment?
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“That is the unwritten rule, “said Jason Kelce.
“That’s the unwritten rule,” responded his brother. “If you want to be a f*** d*** about it, you keep your helmet and your football and your f*** kicking tee right where the quarterbacks are warming up.”
He noted that in their warmups, quarterbacks’ eyes are scanning the field, implying — with Justin Kelce seconding — that a kicker’s stray helmet could be a hazard.
“If you’re not going to pick that up, I’ll happily move that for you,” Travis Kelce said.
“Justin came out and he said it was more of a joking gesture, kind of a fun competitive [thing]. And I get it. And he was kind of winking at me and being a d*** about it, trying to get under the skin.”
Travis Kelce and Mahomes were not amused. “Me and Pat, we’ve been having the same mentality for this game all week long, man,” according to Kelce.” And it was, you gotta go in there and have the right mindset.
“And we just weren’t in a joking mood.”
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Yet, both Kelce brothers complimented Tucker as an exceptional kicker and recognized how he tends to play psychological games with opponents.
Travis Kelce summed up the incident, saying, “Don’t paint me as the bad guy,” while Jason Kelce noted how Tucker got under his brother’s skin.
But it didn’t work, Jason Kelce noted, since the Chiefs won. That makes for their fourth trip to the Super Bowl in five years.
