WATCH: Travis Kelce throws Justin Tucker’s helmet so Patrick Mahomes can warm up

Chiefs All-Pro tight end Travis Kelce tried to chump Ravens kicker Justin Tucker and make him move so Patrick Mahomes can warm up

We’re a little over an hour away from the Ravens and Chiefs kicking off the AFC title game, and star tight end Travis Kelce just added some drama to the contest.

Baltimore’s All-Pro kicker, Justin Tucker was down in the Chiefs end of the field warming up with quarterback Patrick Mahomes, Kelce and the Kansas City offense took the field for some early pregame warmups of their own.

After watching Mahomes take a couple of dropbacks with Tucker still stretching, and his helmet in the Chiefs way, Kelce took upon himself to tell the kicker to move, while tossing his helmet.

Social media reacts to everything, and this altercation was no different.

Ravens vs. Chiefs inactives: Baltimore to employ 9 defensive backs against Kansas City

Ravens vs. Chiefs inactives: Baltimore to employ 9 defensive backs against Kansas City

We’re a little over an hour away from the Ravens and Chiefs battling for the AFC Championship game, and Baltimore has 9 defensive backs active aganst the Kansas City offense.

Mark Andrews and Marlon Humphrey are officially active.

5 reasons why the Ravens will beat the Chiefs in AFC Championship game

We’re looking at five reasons why the Baltimore Ravens will defeat the Kansas City Chiefs in the AFC Championship Game

The time has come, and we’re a little over 3 hours from one of the biggest AFC Championship tilts in NFL history when the Baltimore Ravens host the Kansas City Chiefs at M&T Bank Stadium.

Since becoming Kansas City’s head coach in 2013, Andy Reid has been 4-1 through the regular season against the Ravens, while quarterback Patrick Mahomes has been 3-1.

Last Sunday, the Chiefs defeated the Bills in Buffalo 27-24 to advance to the AFC’s final game, while Baltimore is riding high after a 34-10 win over Houston and rookie quarterback C.J. Stroud.

With pregame warmups already underway, we’re looking at five reasons the Ravens will win the AFC Championship.

Chiefs G Trey Smith confident in Nick Allegretti’s ability to step up vs. Ravens

Kansas City #Chiefs guard Trey Smith is confident that Nick Allegretti can step up in the AFC Championship Game against the Baltimore #Ravens.

The Kansas City Chiefs will be without Joe Thuney on Sunday due to injury, creating a feeling of concern for the offensive line. The All-Pro offensive guard will be sidelined with a pectoral injury, forcing the Chiefs to consider an experienced backup option.

The next man up is Nick Allegretti, who has started 12 games in his career and been a member of Kansas City’s last two Super Bowl titles. Guard Trey Smith spoke highly of Allegretti’s abilities and told reporters that he is a mentor in the locker room.

“Yeah, Nick (Allegretti) is awesome, man. Talk about a hard worker, a guy who really loves the game and brings passion to the game week in and week out,” said Smith. “[He is] a guy that I’ve been able to sort of lean on from time to time early in my career, especially just for advice and different things to help my game get better. So definitely a guy that can bring it play after play after play.”

During Smith’s conversation with reporters, there was still uncertainty about whether Thuney would play on Sunday. Smith understood Thuney’s presence on the field was essential but still had faith in the offensive line without him.

“It’s the next man up mentality,” Smith explained. “Joe is a great player—the best guard in the league. We’ll be good. Just have to keep working.”

Allegretti was a seventh-round draft pick of the Chiefs in 2019. He understands the team schemes and the task before him, battling with the highly touted Baltimore Ravens defensive line.

AFC Championship picks: Who the experts are taking in Ravens vs. Chiefs

We’re looking at the NFL expert picks for the AFC Championship game and the Ravens are projected to defeat the Chiefs

We’re a little over 32 hours from one of the biggest AFC Championship tilts in NFL history when the Baltimore Ravens host the Kansas City Chiefs at M&T Bank Stadium.

Since becoming Kansas City’s head coach in 2013, Andy Reid has been 4-1 through the regular season against the Ravens, while quarterback Patrick Mahomes has been 3-1.

Last Sunday, the Chiefs defeated the Bills in Buffalo 27-24 to advance to the AFC’s final game, while Baltimore is riding high after a 34-10 win over Houston and rookie quarterback C.J. Stroud.

With preparation for the matchup set to begin, we’re looking at one thing to watch at each offensive position group.

Marlon Humphrey among 3 listed as questionable for AFC Championship game

The Ravens are listing Marlon Humphrey, Rock Ya-Sin and Tylan Wallace as questionable for the AFC Championship game, while Mark Andrews will play

The Ravens released their final injury report, and the team is listing Marlon Humphrey, Rock Ya-Sin and Tylan Wallace as questionable for the AFC Championship game, while Mark Andrews will play after missing six games.

Head Coach John Harbaugh said he is “confident” that Humphrey will play on Sunday, which is a big boost to the secondary. Ronald Darby has played well with Humphrey sidelined, and it could give Baltimore’s secondary even more versatility.

Andrews enters the game with no injury designation.

3 burning questions ahead of Ravens AFC Championship matchup vs. Chiefs

We’re looking at seven burning questions ahead of the AFC Championship Game between the Baltimore Ravens and Kansas Chiefs

The Kansas City Chiefs travel to Baltimore for the AFC Championship Game to take on the Ravens.

Since becoming Kansas City’s head coach in 2013, Andy Reid has been 4-1 through the regular season against the Ravens, while quarterback Patrick Mahomes has been 3-1.

Last Sunday, the Chiefs defeated the Bills in Buffalo 27-24 to advance to the AFC’s final game, while Baltimore is riding high after a 34-10 win over Houston and rookie quarterback C.J. Stroud.

With preparation for the matchup set to begin, here are three burning questions to answer.

Ravens vs. Chiefs: 7 early storylines to watch in the AFC Championship game

We’re looking at seven early storylines to watch when the Baltimore Ravens host the Kansas City Chiefs in the AFC Championship Game

The Kansas City Chiefs travel to Baltimore for the AFC Championship Game to take on the Ravens.  Kickoff at M&T Bank Stadium is slated for 3:00 p.m. ET.

Sunday will mark the Chiefs sixth-consecutive AFC title game appearance, it’s first of the stretch that will be played on the road.

Last Sunday, the Chiefs defeated the Bills in Buffalo 27-24 to advance to the AFC’s final game, while Baltimore is riding high after a 34-10 win over Houston and rookie quarterback C.J. Stroud.

The last time these two teams met was in 2021 in Week 2.

Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson had two fourth-quarter rushing Touchdowns to defeat the Chiefs 36-35.

Since becoming Kansas City’s head coach in 2013, Andy Reid has been 4-1 through the regular season against the Ravens, while quarterback Patrick Mahomes has been 3-1.

With preparation for the matchup set to begin, here are seven storylines to watch.

Chiefs used four-year qualifying contract on OL Nick Allegretti to save cap space

Explaining the four-year qualifying contract used on Nick Allegretti and how it helps the #Chiefs save salary cap space.

The Kansas City Chiefs used a unique NFL contract quirk on OL Nick Allegretti to save some money against the salary cap.

The team re-signed the 27-year-old backup offensive lineman on a one-year deal worth $2.582 million fully guaranteed, but as we predicted, that won’t be the number Allegretti costs against the salary cap. The team used a type of veteran salary benefit to help lower the cost of Allegretti’s cap hit in 2023, but this one is a type that isn’t too often used because it’s only applicable to a specific group of players.

The Chiefs used the four-year qualifying contract on Allegretti, which is essentially a qualifying offer like the ones that you’d see with NFL’s restricted free agents or exclusive rights free agents. It can only be given to players who’ve been on a 90-man roster with a single team for four or more years.

This specific contract is given to NFL players with four credited NFL seasons, but it allows teams to incur a salary-cap charge for a player with just two years of accrued service time. In the case of Allegretti, that means his contract only counts $1,232,500 against the salary cap in 2023.

Teams are permitted to use the four-year qualifying contract on two eligible players each year, but I’m not certain that Kansas City will go that route after having seen this particular contract. It’s possible they used it on Derrick Nnadi as well, but we’re still awaiting those contract details. However, the team can still use other veteran salary benefits to help save a bit against the salary cap during the 2023 NFL season on other signings, if they so choose.

[lawrence-auto-related count=3 category=217675258]

[mm-video type=playlist id=01eqbwa53mtds520q2 player_id=01eqbvhghtkmz2182d image=]

Chiefs re-sign free agent OL Nick Allegretti on one-year deal

The #Chiefs have retained one of their own, bringing backup OL Nick Allegretti back on a one-year deal.

After seeing several 2019 NFL draft picks leave for other teams in free agency, the Kansas City Chiefs have retained a member of that class.

As first reported by Kansas City Star reporter Herbie Teope, the Chiefs have retained offensive lineman Nick Allegretti on a one-year deal. A former seventh-round pick out of the University of Illinois, Allegretti has become one of the team’s key backup offensive linemen over the past four seasons. He has appeared in 52 games, starting in 12 over that span with the flexibility to play both guard spots and center.

Beyond his typical role, this backup offensive lineman also has a reputation for catching touchdown passes.

This was a wise move with the Chiefs losing a player like Andrew Wylie, who provided positional flexibility to play both guard spots and right tackle. While Allegretti doesn’t do much for the team’s tackle problems, he does provide an important depth piece for the interior offensive line for just one more year.

No word yet on how much the team dished out to retain Allegretti, but many are predicting that he signed a veteran salary benefit contract. If that’s the case, his contract shouldn’t count too much against the salary cap for Kansas City.

[lawrence-auto-related count=3 category=217675258]

[mm-video type=playlist id=01eqbwa53mtds520q2 player_id=01eqbvhghtkmz2182d image=]