The new NFL season is less than four months away, but the schedules have already dropped. While it wasn’t a big surprise that the Chiefs are opening the new season, what was surprising is that they take on Lamar Jackson’s Ravens, the team they beat in last season’s AFC Championship game. And now, the brief outburst on the field involving Patrick Mahomes, Travis Kelce, and Justin Tucker has resurfaced once again.
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While there were many exciting moments from that game earlier this year, one of them that fans might still remember was Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce getting into a playful banter with Baltimore’s veteran kicker Justin Tucker during their warmup session.
As it turns out, this brief exchange somehow motivated the Chiefs’ locker room to go out and respond to what they saw as disrespect, as reported by James Palmer on X.
I was told in the #chiefs locker room after the game that this exchange between Patrick Mahomes / Travis Kelce and #ravens kicker Justin Tucker actually lit a fire in the team for the AFC Title game. Can’t wait to see what goes down to start the 2024 season. https://t.co/gzLDrdR3TD
— James Palmer (@JamesPalmerTV) May 13, 2024
For the uninitiated: the Ravens came out as favorites for the AFC title game, and it was visible in their body language. Tucker, trying to get under his opponent’s skin, started doing his kickoff routine near the end zone, particularly just beside where Mahomes was practicing his throws. Kelce wasn’t going to let Tucker disrupt their practice and proceeded to throw away his balls and helmet.
With the Chiefs-Ravens game on the horizon yet again, those old memories come flooding back. Thus, it will be interesting to see what happens this time around when the defending champs take on the new and improved Ravens. Moreover, with the video surfacing, football enthusiasts flocked to social media to give their two cents on the incident.
Some fans believe the story of that incident affected the Chiefs, and it was visible when they walked back to the dressing room, while others pointed out that being hassled by a kicker was hilarious, and that’s something no player will tolerate. Few even claimed that Kansas City was already motivated by the importance of the game. See for yourselves:
Of course it did! Why anyone would think otherwise is beyond me. They were pissed walking into the locker rooms…you could see it on TV…Throw in all the “they were going to lose by 2 Tds talk”and you got what you got how their 1st 2 drives went…
— Gene |✌️||✊|{B2B/4x champs} (@Gene_Chizzle) May 13, 2024
Another chimed in and added,
Yeah. We’ve known that since the game was played.
— Cooper McCoy (@CooperMcCoyRE) May 13, 2024
A fan quipped,
The fact that it’s with the kicker is hilarious. It’s like if Kendrick or Drake instead started beefing with the dude who mixes J. Cole’s beats. Sure, he’s great at it, but he’s not the main character.
— Josh Chavis (@JoshChavis65) May 13, 2024
A user stated,
This stuff always makes me laugh. Yes, on a random 2nd-and-7 play in the 2nd quarter, an otherwise unmotivated Travis Kelce tried harder because of a pregame exchange he had with the opponent’s kicker. Believable!
— Dan Gerber (@Elsenor81) May 13, 2024
Someone commented,
You need to have your “fire lit” for an AFC championship game? I’d think your fire should already be quite lit?
— David Harmon (@dharmon48) May 13, 2024
Others said,
Ravens will get a front row seat as we drop the Super Bowl banner at Arrowhead.
— Chiefs Confetti Lady (@kategood) May 13, 2024
Rivalry is what keeps the game alive, and it will certainly be evident when the Ravens and the Chiefs lock their horns. On a similar note, fans might also be wondering when and how they can get their hands on the full schedule.
NFL Schedule Release: Full Details
While the NFL gave a little taste of what’s in store with the Chiefs-Ravens game for Thursday Night Football, the league will soon be releasing the full schedule on May 15, 8 p.m. ET. The teams already knew which opponents they were going to take on next season and which matches would be played home and away since the draft day, but the timings and dates are yet to be released.
Fans will be ready with their phones to get their hands on those tickets and make travel and accommodation arrangements, as another exciting football season is on the horizon.
This new season brings more excitement as this year’s draft class was nothing short of remarkable, with more than a few rookies set to take over the helm from the get-go, similar to what CJ Stroud did last season. While most teams come into the new season stronger and better, the Chiefs still remain the team to beat as they embark on their journey towards the three-peat on the 5th of September.
