OWINGS MILLS, Md. — Baltimore Ravens kicker Justin Tucker had been doing pregame warmups the same way for 12 years and had never had a problem before — until Sunday’s AFC Championship Game .
About 90 minutes before kickoff, Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce and quarterback Patrick Mahomes expressed displeasure with Tucker stretching near Mahomes’ warmup spot. Multiple videos show Mahomes throwing aside Tucker’s kicking T-shirt twice, then Kelce kicking some of Tucker’s football aside and throwing Tucker’s helmet off the field.
“I just thought it was just some gamesmanship, all for fun,” Tucker said Monday, a day after the Ravens lost 17-10 to the Chiefs. “But it seems to be taken more seriously. I’m totally willing to give it all up.”
Tucker, the most accurate kicker in NFL history, explained that this is how kickers in the league have always prepared for games. Kickers will make multiple attempts at both goal posts to get a feel for the wind and playing field conditions.
On Sunday, Mahomes took a dropback near his own goal line, where Tucker placed his helmet, tee and three kicks. Mahomes asked Tucker if he could move his helmet.
“So I happily stood up and took my helmet out of the way,” Tucker said. “At least, I think that’s enough.”
Tucker described Kelce and Mahomes as “two of the best players to ever play their respective positions.” He admitted it was a tense environment but found it “foolish” that he had to address what happened before the game.
“I really don’t think it’s a big deal,” Tucker said. “I think if you saw the whole interaction, and then you saw us flipping a coin — we were all saying hi to each other, and then we just continued playing the football game.”
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