Travis Kelce Breaks Silence After Being Accused of 'Bully'-Like Behavior Against Ravens Kicker
BALTIMORE, MARYLAND - JANUARY 28: Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce (87) sheds a tear after embracing Taylor Swift (R) following the AFC Championship between the Kansas City Chiefs and Baltimore Ravens at M&T Bank Stadium on January 28, 2024 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Photo by Kara Durrette/Getty Images)
Travis Kelce is speaking out for the first time since some internet users accused the tight end and his teammate, quarterback Patrick Mahomes, of acting like "bullies" during the pregame warmups ahead of the AFC championship game against the Ravens.
Several different video clips uploaded online showed Travis and Mahomes both moving Baltimore Ravens kicker Justin Tucker's helmet and football off of the field and out of reach after he set up to practice near the opposing team on Sunday, Jan. 28, opening up a debate between viewers about which side was in the wrong.
Some agreed that Tucker shouldn't have set up shop where he did, while others defended his home team rights. A few pointed out that the group were most likely engaging in some classic psych-out methods ahead of the game, and it turned out to be a combination of all three.
On the latest episode of his podcast, New Heights, Jason Kelce brought the "exchange" between the trio up since "it was all over Twitter," leading Travis to launch into a full breakdown of exactly what happened—explaining how each team has their own side of the field to warm up on. However, "specialists" like Tucker have the opportunity to practice on both sides "because of the wind factor."
That said, "you kind of stay out of their way" when you're working close to "the other team's designated area."
"The unwritten rule" is that "you don't interfere with what they have going on," the two added. Unless, of course, you want to be a bit of a jerk about it. If you do, "you keep your helmet and your football and your...kicking tee right where the quarterbacks are warming up, and they're dropping, eyes are looking left, and they got a helmet down by their feet," Travis called Tucker out.
"It's actually kind of dangerous, really," Jason confirmed.
"Like, if you're not gonna pick that up, I'll happily move that for you," Travis continued.
He added that Justin has also since spoken out, calling the whole thing more of "a joking gesture."
"I get it," Travis conceded. "He was kind of winking at me and being a [jerk] about it, trying to get under the skin." But he and Mahomes were laser-focused on the game to come, and not "in a joking mood."
"So Justin, sorry if we took it to a level that you didn't think it'd get to...but...I can one-up you every time," he laughed.
Jason agreed that you could tell Tucker knew what he was doing by his expressions in the clips. "He got under your skin," Jason admitted, "...but it worked in the wrong way, because it was a record day for the Yeti."
Travis, of course, broke yet another record during the playoff game that sent him and the Chiefs to the upcoming Super Bowl, earning the record for playoff receptions, which followed him and Mahomes taking home the record for most postseason touchdowns by a QB-receiver duo in NFL history as well as recently becoming the all-time leading receiver in Chiefs franchise history.
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