Ravens’ Justin Tucker downplays exchange with Patrick Mahomes, Travis Kelce

OWINGS MILLS, Md. – Baltimore Ravens kicker Justin Tucker has warmed up before games the same way for 12 years and never had a problem before – until the AFC championship game in Sunday.

About 90 minutes before kickoff, Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce and quarterback Patrick Mahomes objected to Tucker lying down near where Mahomes was warming up. Multiple videos showed Mahomes twice tossing Tucker's shirt aside, then Kelce kicking some of Tucker's footballs to the side and throwing Tucker's helmet off the field.

“I just thought it was about playing, having fun,” Tucker said Monday, a day after the Ravens' 17-10 loss to the Chiefs. “But it seems to be taken a little more seriously. I'm totally ready to let it all go.”

Tucker, the most accurate kicker in NFL history, said that's how the league's kickers have always prepared for games. Kickers will make several attempts at both goal posts to get a feel for the wind and the playing surface.

On Sunday, Mahomes was performing his dropbacks near his own goal line, where Tucker had his helmet, T-shirt and three footballs. Mahomes asked Tucker if he could move his helmet.

“So I happily stood up and took my helmet off,” Tucker said. “At least I think it was pretty out of the way.”

Tucker described Kelce and Mahomes as “two of the best players to ever play this game at their respective positions.” He acknowledged it was an intense environment, but found it “silly” to have to address something that happened before the match.

“I really don’t see it as a big deal,” Tucker said. “I think if you see all the interaction and then you just see us at the toss, we all apply ourselves and then we move on to the football game.”