OWINGS MILLS, Md. — Baltimore Ravens kicker Justin Tucker has warmed up earlier than video games the identical manner for 12 years and had by no means encountered an issue earlier than — till Sunday’s AFC Championship Sport.
About 90 minutes earlier than kickoff, Chiefs tight finish Travis Kelce and quarterback Patrick Mahomes took exception to Tucker stretching near the place Mahomes was warming up. A number of movies confirmed Mahomes twice tossing Tucker’s kicking tee apart after which Kelce kicking a few of Tucker’s footballs off to the facet and flinging Tucker’s helmet off the sector.
“I simply thought it was all some gamesmanship, all in good enjoyable,” Tucker stated Monday, a day after the Ravens’ 17-10 loss to the Chiefs. “However it appeared to be taken just a little extra severely. I am completely prepared to let all of it go.”
Tucker, essentially the most correct kicker in NFL historical past, defined that that is how kickers across the league have all the time gotten prepared for video games. Kickers will make a number of makes an attempt at each objective posts to get a really feel for the wind and the enjoying floor.
On Sunday, Mahomes was taking his dropbacks close to his personal objective line, the place Tucker had his helmet, kicking tee and three kicking balls. Mahomes requested Tucker if he might transfer his helmet.
“So I fortunately obtained up and I moved my helmet out of the best way,” Tucker stated. “No less than, I believe it was sufficient out of the best way.”
Tucker described Kelce and Mahomes as “two of the very best gamers which have ever performed the sport at their respective positions.” He acknowledged that it was an intense setting however discovered it “foolish” that he needed to tackle one thing that occurred earlier than the sport.
“I actually do not see it as a giant deal,” Tucker stated. “I believe should you simply see the entire interplay and then you definitely simply see us on the coin toss — we’re all dapping one another up after which we simply get on with the soccer recreation.”
