Patrick Mahomes makes peace with Justin Tucker after Chiefs make signing: “We were just competitors”

A confrontation that once put Patrick Mahomes and Justin Tucker on opposite sides of an intense playoff rivalry is suddenly relevant again, with the Kansas City Chiefs giving the former Baltimore Ravens kicker an opportunity to revive his NFL career.

Kansas City signed Tucker to its practice squad Wednesday after Harrison Butker 's inconsistent start to the 2026 season, a move that immediately revived memories of the disagreement before the 2024 AFC Championship Game.

Tucker had been preparing for the contest when his equipment became the subject of an exchange involving Mahomes and Travis Kelce , who were warming up nearby.

Although the incident attracted considerable attention at the time, Mahomes insists there was never a personal feud between them.

"But it wasn't like we ever had any beef or anything like that," Mahomes told reporters Wednesday. "I think at that moment it was just competitors being competitors."

The disagreement unfolded before Kansas City's 17-10 victory over Baltimore, which secured the Chiefs' place in Super Bowl LVIII.

Kelce moved Tucke r's equipment during the exchange, but Mahomes believes the competitive atmosphere surrounding such an important game explains what happened.

"It was a big moment for everybody's career, and you're playing the AFC Championship Game," Mahomes said.

"And he's been a big, big-time kicker for a long time. Me and Trav were obviously competing, and we wanted to go out there and win."

The quarterback explained that the situation ended once the teams left the field, rejecting suggestions that their previous encounter would affect Tucker's arrival.

"But then you move on from that. I mean, at the end of the day, we're just playing a game, and you want to compete, and you want to win," Mahomes added.

"So there's nothing hostile, I guess you would say, moving forward from that."

Tucker's arrival creates fresh pressure for Butker

Kansas City's decision comes after a difficult stretch for Harrison Butker , who has converted only 11 of 16 field-goal attempts this season.

His two misses during Sunday's 20-3 defeat to the Seattle Seahawks contributed to the Chiefs ' first loss of the campaign and prompted the organization to evaluate alternatives.

Head coach Andy Reid confirmed that three kickers participated in workouts before Tucker was offered a practice squad position.

However, Reid stressed that Butker remains the team's preferred kicker ahead of Sunday's matchup with the Denver Broncos .

"Listen, Harrison, we love Harrison. I've told you that before. He's one of my favorite guys," Reid said.

"We had a practice squad position open, and so, for security we brought him in and put him in that spot."

The coach added that Butker would receive most of the practice repetitions this week, indicating that Tucker 's arrival does not guarantee an immediate change.

Questions over controversial Chiefs signing

Tucker 's NFL return has also generated criticism because of allegations of sexual misconduct involving 16 massage therapists.

The 36-year-old has denied the allegations but served a 10-game suspension for violating the league's personal conduct policy after his release from Baltimore in 2025.

Reid said the Chiefs conducted background checks before signing Tucker , although he declined to explain the process in detail.

"We try to do our homework the best way we possibly can and talk to a lot of people and make sure things are okay," he said.

Mahomes avoided commenting extensively on the controversy, instead expressing confidence in general manager Brett Veach and emphasizing the team's immediate priorities.

"I try not to get too high or too low on anything, but I know Veach and them do a great job of bringing great players in," Mahomes said.

With Kansas City attempting to recover from its first defeat, the quarterback made clear that preparing for Denver matters more than revisiting a confrontation from nearly three years ago.