Tempers flared even before the AFC Championship Game kicked off between Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes, tight end Travis Kelce and Baltimore Ravens kicker Justin Tucker.
As Tucker was trying to warmup in the end zone prior to Sunday's championship game at M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore, Mahomes interrupted his routine, taking the All-Pro's kicking holder.
Patrick Mahomes and Justin Tucker going at it pregame ?. Mahomes keeps kicking Tuckers holder away. pic.twitter.com/KeqhYyle4t
— James Palmer (@JamesPalmerTV) January 28, 2024
Patrick Mahomes, Justin Tucker Set the Tone
At one point, after Tucker retrieved his tee after Mahomes kicked it away and returned to keep kicking in the same spot along the g0al-line, Kelce threw Tucker's helmet, because he felt like the Ravens' kicker was getting in the way of Mahomes warming up.
These two bitter rivals meet in the Charm City with a trip to the Super Bowl at stake, and it marks the first time in Mahomes' career that he will need to win a championship game away from Arrowhead Stadium in order to advance.
Elsewhere during warmups, there were several mini-scuffles that broke out between these two teams, potentially setting a physical and chippy tone for the AFC Championship Game.
Tucker, a five-time First-Team All-Pro selection, and one of the greatest players to wear a Baltimore Uniform, is aiming to kick the Ravens into a Super Bowl for the second time in his career.
By game's end, Mahomes, Kelce, and Tucker all figure to play prominent roles in whether their team advances to play for the Lombardi Trophy, or has their season come to an end 60 minutes shy of a championship.
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