Baltimore Ravens kicker Justin Tucker is making it clear the place he stands with Travis Kelce after their tense pregame interplay went viral.
Tucker, 34, was warming up earlier than the Sunday, January 28, AFC Championship sport when Kelce, 34, threw his helmet off the sector to make approach for his teammate Patrick Mahomes.
“I saw Patrick there trying to warm up and get some dropbacks, so he asked me while I was on the ground if I could move my helmet,” Tucker defined to reporters in a video shared by way of X on Monday, January 29. “So, I happily got up and I moved my helmet out of the way, at least I thought it was enough out of the way. And then, Travis comes over and he just kicks my stuff and he throws my helmet, and I thought it was all just some gamesmanship, all in good fun, but they seemed to be taking it a little bit more seriously.”
Tucker mentioned he’s “willing to let it all go,” clarifying that he’s been warming up the identical approach ever since he joined the NFL in 2012. “It’s not like I’m out there trying to be problematic. I’m just trying to get ready for the football game just like they are,” he said.
The athlete defined that “each team’s kicker goes to the other team’s designated warm-up area on the field,” including that he’s “never really had a problem with anybody” earlier than his incident with Kelce and Mahomes, 28. “That’s just kind of the way that we’ve always done it and the way that kickers around the league have always done it,” he added.
In ESPN’s TikTok clip of the pregame interplay, Tucker appeared to say one thing indiscernible to Kelce earlier than readjusting his gear. Tucker didn’t elaborate on what was mentioned.
Travis Kelce informed Justin Tucker he wanted to maneuver as a result of their QB Patrick Mahomes needed to heat up. So Kelce kicked his ball away and threw his helmet. 😂 pic.twitter.com/pFF0DC1yA7
— James Palmer (@JamesPalmerTV) January 28, 2024
The pregame run-in acquired blended reactions from followers on-line. “Why did he have his stuff right on the goal-line? If he’s truly warming up wouldn’t he be further out on the 15 so he’s at least practicing extra points?” one fan wrote by way of X on Tuesday, January 30. “I think Tucker is a good dude but I don’t buy [that] he was just innocently stretching right in the middle of them.”
Another X person, in the meantime, referred to as Tucker “one of the classiest people” and praised him for his “great explanation” of his warm-up rituals. A 3rd fan wasn’t within the drama, writing, “I don’t think it’s that deep for either side … I get both sides of it and well it’s over now and that’s that 😂.”
Kelce and the Kansas City Chiefs finally emerged from the sport victorious on Sunday, defeating the Ravens 17-10. They will play in opposition to the San Francisco 49ers in Super Bowl LVII on February 11.
After his group’s huge win, Travis was noticed celebrating on the sector together with his mother and father, Donna and Ed Kelce, alongside together with his brother, Jason Kelce, and his girlfriend, Taylor Swift. The couple, who’ve been relationship since summer season 2023, shared a candy kiss on digicam.
The Grammy winner, 34, watched proudly as Travis accepted the AFC Championship trophy on stage. “You gotta fight for your right to party!” Travis exclaimed, quoting lyrics from the Beastie Boys’ hit “Fight For Your Right.” He added: “Believe it, baby! We’re going to Las Vegas, Nevada! Gonna get us another one!” (The Chiefs beforehand beat the Philadelphia Eagles and the 49ers on the 2023 and 2020 Super Bowls, respectively.)
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