The Kansas City Chiefs took on the Baltimore Ravens at M&T Bank Stadium in the AFC Championship game last season and the battle for a place at Super Bowl LVIII began before the game even began.
Footage went viral of Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce clashing with Ravens kicker Justin Tucker who warmed up dangerously closely to Patrick Mahomes.
Tucker was in the same area as the Chiefs pair and looked to be playing mind games while doing some pregame stretching.
Kelce reportedly told Tucker he needed to move but the Ravens man wasn’t budging and stuck to his guns with a smile on his face.
An irritated Kelce then proceeded to kick Tucker’s helmet and ball away which were on the floor near the end zone where Mahomes was practising.
“Travis Kelce told Justin Tucker he needed to move because their QB Patrick Mahomes had to warm up.
So Kelce kicked his ball away and threw his helmet,” NFL Network’s James Palmer tweeted. The short clip did the rounds on X, but it didn’t end there as Mahomes and Tucker reportedly continued to go at it.
A clip showed the pair engaging in a war of words following the Kelce incident. Mahomes repeatedly kicked Tucker’s stand out of the way as the Ravens star attempted to practice.
Patrick Mahomes and Justin Tucker going at it pregame. Mahomes keeps kicking Tuckers holder away,” Palmer added on X.
Kelce and brother Jason later said Tucker broke an unwritten rule whereby Tucker apparently interfered in the other team’s designated area.
“If you wanna be a f***ing d*** about it, you keep your helmet and your football and you’re f***ing kicking tee right where the quarterbacks are warming up.